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Since making his Test debut in September 2022, the 25-year-old right-handed batter has played 24 matches, and with the help of eight centuries and 10 fifties, scored 2281 runs.
Greg Chappell compares Harry Brook with Sachin Tendulkar. (Picture Credit: AFP)
Former Indian men’s cricket team head coach Greg Chappell has compared England star Harry Brook with legendary Sachin Tendulkar and said that the 25-year-old right-handed batter is becoming one of the most talked-about cricketers in the world. According to Chappell, who served as head coach of the Indian team for a couple of years in the mid-2000s, Brook’s performances in the early stage of his career suggest that he has even outpaced Tendulkar in terms of impact at the same stage.
“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.
Brook made his Test debut for England against South Africa at The Oval on September 8, 2022, and has scored 2,281 runs in 24 matches played so far. His batting average in the five-day format of the game is 58.48, and in December 2024 he became world No. 1 Test batter as well for a brief period.
“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.”
Chappell feels, “His (Brook’s) 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.”
“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.”
