Root Praises Brook's Batting Skills: A Tough Challenge for Bowlers

Wellington, Dec 10 (NationPress) Joe Root has commended his fellow England and Yorkshire player Harry Brook for his outstanding batting skills, emphasizing that the right-hander is incredibly challenging to bowl to, as he can smash the bowler for six over the head and execute scoops for maximum runs.

Brook displayed his talent with a remarkable counterattacking innings of 123 runs off 115 balls against New Zealand in Wellington, aiding England's recovery from a precarious position of 43/4 on the first morning, leading to a decisive 323-run victory that clinched the series. He declared this innings as the best of his young career, which spans 23 Tests and includes eight centuries along with an impressive batting average of 61.62.

According to Root, "If you asked me, Brooky is by far and away the best player in the world at the minute. He has such an all-round game: he can absorb pressure, he can apply it, he can whack you over your head for six, he can scoop you over his head for six, he can smack spin, he can smack seam. He's so hard to bowl to."

Root's sentiments were echoed by England captain Ben Stokes, who labeled Brook as 'phenomenal'. "From 40-odd for four on day one, to be sat here on the winning side halfway through day three, is pretty special," Stokes stated. "In cricket terms, that pitch was what we call a snake pit... it was doing plenty. Brooky is just phenomenal. No one has a right to go out and score 120 on that wicket, against the attack that New Zealand has. There are only a few players globally who could perform like he did, and I'm grateful he's part of our team."

Brook's recent century, closely following another in Christchurch and a triple century in Multan, has propelled the 25-year-old to the second position in the ICC Test batting rankings. Notably, Joe Root retains the top spot, having scored his 36th Test century at the Basin Reserve, equaling Rahul Dravid's record for fifth place on the all-time Test centuries list. This was also Root's 19th Test century since 2021, a remarkable achievement that positions him 10 centuries ahead of the next best, Kane Williamson.

While Brook readily acknowledged his senior teammate's contributions, he remained humble about his own accomplishments, which include an impressive away Test batting average of 91.50. However, he noted that he has yet to confront the challenges of playing in Australia or India.

"I'm trying to catch him, but he's too good, isn't he? He's got another hundred this week and he's obviously one of the best players, if not the best player, to have ever played the game," Brook remarked about Root.

"It's amazing to play alongside him, and he's a joy to watch. I've only played 22 or 23 games, so those statistics can quickly change. I'm just focused on becoming the best I can be, working diligently in the nets, and improving in areas that are challenging. You can always strive for improvement," he added.