Harry Brook faced more criticism after throwing away his wicket with another careless shot in the second Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Thursday, 4 December. World Cup winner Alex Hartley branded his decision-making “fu****g stupid”, as questions grew about Brook’s awareness on the opening day of the match.
After the victory in Perth, Australia has taken a 1-0 lead. England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and decided to bat first. The visiting team scored 325 runs at the loss of nine wickets in 74 overs on the first day. Joe Root was the best batsman for the England team, ending the day with an unbeaten 135 off 202 balls.
England 122-3 when Harry Brook comes to bat
When Harry Brook came to bat, England’s score was 122-3. After the fall of two early wickets in the initial overs, Jack Crawley and Joe Root had already taken the innings forward. Brook hit three fours in his first few balls.
He had a nervous moment when he tried to hit a scoop shot and missed. Alex Carey picked up the ball and took down the bails. The third umpire examined the replays and confirmed that Brook had pulled his leg prematurely.
Brook scored 31 runs in 33 balls before being dismissed by Mitchell Starc. Steve Smith completed the catch at second slip. Root and Brook added 54 runs for the fourth wicket. Brook’s innings ended due to a poor shot and England’s score became 176-4 in the first innings.
Harry Brook was called an idiot after being out in the Gabba test
Speaking on BBC Test Match Special, Alex Hartley criticized Harry Brook for poor shot selection. He said he was an “idiot” after Brook lost his wicket. Brook repeated the same mistake he had made in Perth, where he was out for duck during a massive collapse on three balls.
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– Richard Sharples (@RWSharples) 4 December 2025
Harry Brook has scored 2,903 runs in 32 Test matches at an average of 56.31 and a strike rate of 87.47, which includes 14 half-centuries and 10 centuries. He is the world number 2 batsman in Test cricket. However, his tendency to play fast shots continues to frustrate critics.
Joe Root’s century saves England after Mitchell Starc’s early attacks
Mitchell Starc hit four fours twice in his opening spell. He dismissed Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope for a duck, leaving the visitors 5-2 down. Joe Root and Jack Crawley added 117 runs for the second wicket. Crawley was dismissed by Michael Neser, but Root carried on with confidence and scored his first century in Australia.
Ben Stokes looked composed before being run out on 19 following a risky single, sparking debate over whether he or Root had got the call wrong. His departure triggered another collapse, with several middle-order batsmen out in quick succession and England slipping to 264–9.
However, Root got late support from Jofra Archer, who scored 32 not out. He added 61 valuable runs for the last wicket before stumps. At the end of the first day, England’s score was 325-9, but it seemed that due to poor players, a big score could not be made.
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