England middle-order batter Harry Brook has had quite a start to his Test career. In the 24 Tests he has played, the right-handed batter averages a staggering 58.48 and has quickly become the lynchpin of the England batting lineup. Brook fits perfectly into the ‘Bazball’ mould of captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.
Former Australia batter Greg Chappell has likened Brook to Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, saying the England batter boasts of a simple but “devastatingly effective batting method.”
Chappell might have compared the initial stats of Harry Brook and Sachin Tendulkar’s careers. However, one fact cannot be ignored. At the beginning of his Test career, Sachin batted at Nos. 6 and 7 positions, while Brook batted in the top and middle order.
“Harry Brook, a batting sensation whose performances and approach I compare to the great Sachin Tendulkar. Remarkably, Brook’s early career stats suggest he might even have outpaced the Indian maestro in terms of impact at the same stage,” Chappell wrote in his column for the Sydney Morning Herald.
“At just 25, Brook has rapidly become one of the most talked-about cricketers in the world. He boasts a simple but devastatingly effective batting method. Much like Tendulkar in his early years, Brook doesn’t move excessively in the crease before the ball is delivered,” he added.
In his short career, Brook has registered 8 centuries and 10 half-centuries. He was recently adjudged Player of the Series after England defeated New Zealand in the three-match Test series.
On the other hand, Sachin, who began his Test career in 1989, batted at Nos. 6 and 7 until January 1992. In his first 14 Tests, Sachin batted in the lower-middle order. After that, the right-handed batter made the No.4 slot his own.
Adding further, Chappell said, “His stability and minimalistic technique allow him to read the angles of the bowler and adjust his strokes with precision. The result? An extraordinary ability to score from most deliveries, whether they’re pitched full, short or on an awkward length.”
‘Brook bigger and more powerful player’
Chappell also reckons that Harry Brook and Tendulkar are similar in manipulating the field with wristy flicks, crunching drives, and punishing back-foot shots.
However, it needs to be stated that Harry Brook’s centuries have come on flat tracks and his game on turning tracks and bouncy pitches is yet to be tested. The real test awaits Brook at the end of 2025 when England travel to Australia for the Ashes.
“Tendulkar’s early brilliance lay in his ability to use the bowler’s pace to his advantage, scoring heavily on both sides of the wicket. Brook, though a bigger and more powerful player physically, has a strikingly similar ability to manipulate the field with wristy flicks, crunching drives, and punishing back-foot shots.
It’s a simple method, but simplicity often breeds greatness,” said Chappell.
“Comparing their first 15 Tests reveals an eye-opening narrative. Tendulkar scored 837 runs at an average of just under 40, with a couple of centuries. Brook, in contrast, had made 1378 runs at an average of nearly 60, with five hundreds. To be fair, Sachin was still a teenager while Brook is in his mid-20s. Brook’s ability to combine aggression with consistency makes him a nightmare for bowlers because, much like Tendulkar, he’s incredibly hard to contain. For England, he’s not just a bright prospect, he’s a player around whom their future could be built,” he added.
