Harry Brook admits T20 spin struggles in India is ‘the hardest thing in the game’ but insists he has a plan to battle back against Achilles heel

Harry Brook has risen to the very top of the international game in recent weeks, but concedes the final frontier faced by his batting is conquering spin in Twenty20.

Brook, 25, briefly displaced England team-mate Joe Root at the summit of the Test rankings last month and averages 40 in one-day internationals.

However, Indian conditions have exposed an Achilles heel against the turning ball, leaving him with with work to do if he is to maintain a reputation as the most exciting multi-format player of the global game.

Brook’s average in a dozen T20 matches in India is 17, the score that he fell for in Kolkata on Wednesday, and given the home side’s tactical success in that series opener he can expect another heavy diet of spin being sent down by Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel in the second of five matches today/on Saturday.

‘Facing spin in T20 cricket is probably the hardest thing in the game, I think, especially because I always get out trying to absolutely smack it,’ Brook said.

‘Maybe I’ve got to rein in a little bit, but we’ll see. I do have a method against it. It’s just trying to do it consistently and more often.

Harry Brook believes he has a solution to his struggles playing against spin in India

Indian conditions have exposed Brook has an Achilles heel against the turning ball

Brook’s average in a dozen T20 matches in India is 17, the score that he fell for in Kolkata on Wednesday

‘I come in in the middle order, so the first few balls I face are usually off spin. So if I get out early, it’s usually against a spinner, so maybe my stats aren’t as good against spin, and there’s always going to be criticism in some parts.’

It was a googly from leg-spinner Chakravarthy that foxed England’s new vice-captain, but Brook suggested the dismissal benefited from some atmospheric assistance.

‘Chakravarthy is an exceptionally good bowler, tough to pick, and actually with the smog the other night, it was a lot harder to pick as well,’ he said. ‘Hopefully the air is a bit clearer here and we can see the ball a bit easier.’

To that end, England arrived in the south of the subcontinent on Thursday to much brighter skies, and Brook intent on re-watching his one stand-out innings in this country before he walks out to the middle again – an Indian Premier League hundred for Sunrisers Hyderabad two years ago, his only 50-plus score here.

He is also more involved in England’s think-tank these days after being named, without ceremony from coach Brendon McCullum, as Buttler’s deputy at the start of the first tour of a busy 2025.

‘We were sat in the bar the other night and Baz texted me from across the other side of the room,’ Brook revealed.

‘He just said “congrats, you’re the vice-captain,” and I just put “beautiful, thanks”. There wasn’t really much conversation. Obviously I did the ODIs in the summer so I kind of knew that it was going to happen.’

England will make at least one change, with Brydon Carse replacing Gus Atkinson, while Jamie Smith is on standby for a T20 international debut after Jacob Bethell missed yesterday’s training session with illness. 

Brook has work to do if he is to maintain a reputation as the most exciting multi-format player of the global game

Brook has been named England’s ODI vice-captain and will support Jos Buttler (left) in India

Smith, 24, has won 16 caps for England across the other two formats, making an excellent start to his Test career in particular last summer and travelled to India as one of two wicketkeeping options along with Phil Salt following the decision of Buttler to concentrate on captaincy.

However, one of the two glovemen will join Buttler in the outfield if Bethell continues to feel unwell – in addition to practice, he also missed yesterday’s official team tour photographs.

Wednesday proved a night to forget for Surrey’s Atkinson at Eden Gardens: scratching around for two off 13 balls with the bat and then being smashed for 38 runs in two overs as India chased down their 133-run target with 43 deliveries unused.

One of the reasons England stopped short of making a definitive call on their XI, though – as has become normal practice 24 hours out from a match during McCullum’s tenure as coach – is that Bethell’s absence would reduce their spin options at one of the world’s most spin-friendly venues.

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}