Australia (Parliament Politics Magazine) – English cricketer Zak Crawley backed Harry Brook’s reverse-sweep dismissal as England neared Ashes defeat, praising the intent during the third Test.
As reported by Sky Sports, Zak Crawley defended Harry Brook’s dismissal, saying his reverse-sweep shot in the third Ashes Test would not be questioned by the England camp.
England ended the fourth day in Adelaide at 207-6 in their second innings on Saturday, leaving them 228 runs to complete a record chase of 435.
An expected defeat on Sunday would see England lose the opening three Tests, giving Australia a commanding grip on a series widely expected to be tightly contested.
Despite being named vice-captain under Ben Stokes, Brook’s performance has been inconsistent, with a highest score of 50 across six innings and multiple dismissals due to poor shot selection, most recently being bowled by Nathan Lyon on Saturday.
How did Zak Crawley react to Harry Brook’s reverse sweep dismissal in Adelaide?
Zak Crawley, England’s top scorer with 85 runs, said,
“Personally, I’d rather see someone get out like that than defending on that pitch. No one in the group would ever criticise that. I certainly never would question Harry on anything to do with batting.”
He stated,
“I’d much rather that than someone prodding and finding short leg. We’re trying to put him [Lyon] under pressure. If you’re going to get out somehow, I’d rather it was that way.”
His support for Brook comes as England’s batting strategy faces scrutiny, with the top order criticized for losing wickets cheaply in defeats at Perth and Brisbane.
England’s batting seemed less aggressive in Adelaide, but Crawley says the adjustment reflects Australia’s potent bowling rather than team strategy.
Mr Crawley added,
“We often talk about putting pressure back on them, absorbing pressure. And, to be honest with you, they’ve bowled so well, there’s been a lot more of the absorbing than we’d have probably liked.”
He continued,
“They don’t really give us much. They’re very accurate bowlers. Probably their greatest strength.So, we’re just trying to find ways to put them under pressure. But they’ve stood up to us. They’ve been unbelievable, to be fair.”
Crawley praised the Australian bowling attack, despite it not being at full strength this series.
Josh Hazlewood was sidelined due to injury, while Pat Cummins rejoined Australia for the third Test after missing the opening two matches.
Lyon missed the Brisbane Test, but his Adelaide return saw him overtake Glenn McGrath as Australia’s second-highest Test wicket-taker.
Crawley said,
“They’re phenomenal. They’re the best bowling attack that I’ve played against for sure, especially in these conditions where it’s spinning like that for Lyon.”
He stated,
“They don’t give you anything, they make the ball move, and they’re relentless. But we knew that coming in. We knew we had to be our best and unfortunately, we’ve been just short of that. But in fairness to them, they’ve been phenomenal for the last three games.”
He described the England dressing room as “flat,” with little hope for a Sunday comeback.
Referring to the tourists’ camp, Crawley said the atmosphere was “flat,” despite coming to win The Ashes.
He continued,
“We’re always an optimistic team and an upbeat team and we’ll always put up as much of a fight as we can, but it’s disappointing to come here and lose these first. Well, we’ll see how tomorrow goes, but we’re probably up against it.”
What are the key dates and results of the 2025-26 Ashes series?
Australia holds a 2-0 lead in the five-match series against England.
- Test 1 (Perth): England lost by 8 wickets
- Test 2 (Brisbane): Another 8-wicket defeat for England
- Test 3 (Adelaide): December 17-21
- Test 4 (Melbourne): December 26-30
- Test 5 (Sydney): January 4-8
What is Harry Brook’s highest score and against which team?
Harry Brook’s highest score in international cricket is 317 runs, which he scored for England against Pakistan. This monumental innings took place during the first Test match in Multan on October 10, 2024.
This score was also the second-fastest triple-century in Test history, reached in just 310 balls. Brook shared a world-record 454-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Joe Root during this innings.