We don't always have to be nice: England's Brook
After exchanging good-natured wins at Headingley and Edgbaston, the Test series grew testy as India's fielders clashed with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett in a time-wasting row.
That lit a fire under England when it was their turn to field, with Jofra Archer giving a pumped-up send-off to Rishabh Pant while Brydon Carse and Ravindra Jadeja were involved in a mid-pitch collision.
India crumbled to 170 all out in pursuit of 193 to fall 2-1 down ahead of this week's penultimate Test at Old Trafford, but Brook did not think England crossed any line in their pursuit of victory.
Brook said: "I've had a lot of compliments. Everybody said it was awesome to watch. It was good fun, I have to admit, it was tiring but it made fielding a lot more enjoyable.
"I think it put them under a little bit more pressure. The opportunity that arose for us to not be the nice guys was because of what they did. We just thought 'we're not standing for that'.
"We had a conversation and said 'it's time to not be those nice guys that we have been before'. You don't always have to be nice. Who knows, that might have played into our favour. It was good fun.
"We were doing it within the spirit of the game. We weren't going out there effing and jeffing at them and being nasty people. We were just going about it in the right manner."
England have been accused of being too carefree and Brook revealed it was at his urging after some choice words from head coach Brendon "Baz" McCullum that they should shed that approach.
"We were just putting them under more pressure. Baz actually said a few days before that we are too nice sometimes, and I brought it up the night before the last day: 'Baz said the other day we're too nice, I think tomorrow is a perfect opportunity to really get stuck into them'."
Mohammed Siraj was fined 15 per cent of his match fee and given one demerit point for his angry send-off of Duckett during England's second innings, which ended with the pair brushing shoulders.
But after Siraj became the last man out a series of England players, including Brook, went over to offer commiserations to him.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AU Financial Review
28 minutes ago
- AU Financial Review
The city that's ‘on the cusp' of being one of the world's greatest
John Coates has made a habit of getting his own way. For Sydney's star moment at the closing ceremony for the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, Rod McGeoch, director of Sydney's organising committee, wanted a big dance number with lots of schoolkids. 'Rod, we're not here for that,' Coates told him, and the idea was squashed. 'He stopped me every time,' recalls McGeoch. 'John Coates commanded the vision.' Which might explain the years of handwringing by the Queensland government over which stadium will be the main venue for the Brisbane Games in 2032. Two successive premiers backed wildly inappropriate options; Annastacia Palaszczuk proposed the Gabba, which was to be refurbished at a cost of $1 billion, a figure that had been plucked from thin air.
The Advertiser
43 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Aussie county skip left 99 overnight in top-table duel
Former Australian Test batter Peter Handscomb was left on 99 not out as play closed on the first day of the local derby promotion battle between English midlands counties Leicestershire and Derbyshire. The Victorian is Leicestershire captain and he has led the unfashionable county to the summit of the County Championship's second division - with neighbours Derbyshire second. Hosts Derbyshire made a superb start, dismissing their visitors to 2-0 with Kiwi quick Blair Tickner picking up one of the wickets. But Leicestershire responded like champions. England allrounder Rehan Ahmed made 115, his third consecutive hundred in the competition, before falling to a fine running catch at midwicket by Australian Caleb Jewell. Ahmed had added 169 with Lewis Hill who went on to make an unbeaten 132 himself. Hill and Handscomb shared an unbroken fourth wicket stand of 188 to leave Leicestershire 3-357 with three days to play. Handscomb, who is playing his 200th first-class match, reached 50 off 84 balls, and got to 90 off 140 balls and has since spent 23 balls in the 90s. With Hill taking a single off the first ball of the day's last over he had five balls to score the two he needed for his 28th first-class hundred, but could only take a single off the fifth ball. The 34-year-old, who played the last of his 20 Tests in India in 2023, will resume in the morning aiming to lead Leicestershire to a commanding total before Jewell has the chance to lead the home side's response. Elsewhere in Division Two Wes Agar took 3-29 as bottom-of-the-table Kent looked to get back into the game after being dismissed for 154 by Glamorgan. The Welsh county closed on 4-125. Marcus Harris made 29 in Lancashire's 6-290 against Cameron Bancroft's Gloucestershire. In the top flight Beau Webster went straight back into the Warwickshire side after returning from Australia's Test matches in the West Indies. With Worcestershire electing to bat the allrounder was limited to bowling and took the key wicket of visiting skipper Basil D'Oliveira for 57 as the home team made 8-262. Surrey's long-serving Australian opening bowler Dan Worrell, an outside bet to play for England in the Ashes as he is now eligible, took 3-49 at Scarborough as Yorkshire made 4-282. That took his season's tally to 22 at under 24 apiece. At 34, like Handscomb, his chance is probably gone, but he is closing in on 400 first-class wickets and the Victorian knows Australian conditions well. Former Australian Test batter Peter Handscomb was left on 99 not out as play closed on the first day of the local derby promotion battle between English midlands counties Leicestershire and Derbyshire. The Victorian is Leicestershire captain and he has led the unfashionable county to the summit of the County Championship's second division - with neighbours Derbyshire second. Hosts Derbyshire made a superb start, dismissing their visitors to 2-0 with Kiwi quick Blair Tickner picking up one of the wickets. But Leicestershire responded like champions. England allrounder Rehan Ahmed made 115, his third consecutive hundred in the competition, before falling to a fine running catch at midwicket by Australian Caleb Jewell. Ahmed had added 169 with Lewis Hill who went on to make an unbeaten 132 himself. Hill and Handscomb shared an unbroken fourth wicket stand of 188 to leave Leicestershire 3-357 with three days to play. Handscomb, who is playing his 200th first-class match, reached 50 off 84 balls, and got to 90 off 140 balls and has since spent 23 balls in the 90s. With Hill taking a single off the first ball of the day's last over he had five balls to score the two he needed for his 28th first-class hundred, but could only take a single off the fifth ball. The 34-year-old, who played the last of his 20 Tests in India in 2023, will resume in the morning aiming to lead Leicestershire to a commanding total before Jewell has the chance to lead the home side's response. Elsewhere in Division Two Wes Agar took 3-29 as bottom-of-the-table Kent looked to get back into the game after being dismissed for 154 by Glamorgan. The Welsh county closed on 4-125. Marcus Harris made 29 in Lancashire's 6-290 against Cameron Bancroft's Gloucestershire. In the top flight Beau Webster went straight back into the Warwickshire side after returning from Australia's Test matches in the West Indies. With Worcestershire electing to bat the allrounder was limited to bowling and took the key wicket of visiting skipper Basil D'Oliveira for 57 as the home team made 8-262. Surrey's long-serving Australian opening bowler Dan Worrell, an outside bet to play for England in the Ashes as he is now eligible, took 3-49 at Scarborough as Yorkshire made 4-282. That took his season's tally to 22 at under 24 apiece. At 34, like Handscomb, his chance is probably gone, but he is closing in on 400 first-class wickets and the Victorian knows Australian conditions well. Former Australian Test batter Peter Handscomb was left on 99 not out as play closed on the first day of the local derby promotion battle between English midlands counties Leicestershire and Derbyshire. The Victorian is Leicestershire captain and he has led the unfashionable county to the summit of the County Championship's second division - with neighbours Derbyshire second. Hosts Derbyshire made a superb start, dismissing their visitors to 2-0 with Kiwi quick Blair Tickner picking up one of the wickets. But Leicestershire responded like champions. England allrounder Rehan Ahmed made 115, his third consecutive hundred in the competition, before falling to a fine running catch at midwicket by Australian Caleb Jewell. Ahmed had added 169 with Lewis Hill who went on to make an unbeaten 132 himself. Hill and Handscomb shared an unbroken fourth wicket stand of 188 to leave Leicestershire 3-357 with three days to play. Handscomb, who is playing his 200th first-class match, reached 50 off 84 balls, and got to 90 off 140 balls and has since spent 23 balls in the 90s. With Hill taking a single off the first ball of the day's last over he had five balls to score the two he needed for his 28th first-class hundred, but could only take a single off the fifth ball. The 34-year-old, who played the last of his 20 Tests in India in 2023, will resume in the morning aiming to lead Leicestershire to a commanding total before Jewell has the chance to lead the home side's response. Elsewhere in Division Two Wes Agar took 3-29 as bottom-of-the-table Kent looked to get back into the game after being dismissed for 154 by Glamorgan. The Welsh county closed on 4-125. Marcus Harris made 29 in Lancashire's 6-290 against Cameron Bancroft's Gloucestershire. In the top flight Beau Webster went straight back into the Warwickshire side after returning from Australia's Test matches in the West Indies. With Worcestershire electing to bat the allrounder was limited to bowling and took the key wicket of visiting skipper Basil D'Oliveira for 57 as the home team made 8-262. Surrey's long-serving Australian opening bowler Dan Worrell, an outside bet to play for England in the Ashes as he is now eligible, took 3-49 at Scarborough as Yorkshire made 4-282. That took his season's tally to 22 at under 24 apiece. At 34, like Handscomb, his chance is probably gone, but he is closing in on 400 first-class wickets and the Victorian knows Australian conditions well.
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
St Kilda's desperation to land De Koning is driving up the price of the star they already have
St Kilda's massive offer to lure Carlton ruckman Tom De Koning to Moorabbin will force the Saints to pay through the nose to retain star midfielder Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera as he weighs up whether to accept a lucrative short-term deal at the Saints or head back to South Australia to play with Port Adelaide or Adelaide. The 22-year-old's brilliant season and knowledge of offers the Saints have made to prospective star recruits at other clubs, in particular De Koning has put Wanganeen-Milera in a strong negotiating position. It's expected De Koning will accept the $1.7 million a year St Kilda has offered him to join them in 2026. The Saints have significantly upped their offer to Wanganeen-Milera since the start of the season to $1.4 million per season, according to two competition sources. His eye-catching form has resulted in a move from their original position and has him poised as a near-certainty to win the club best and fairest award. The club's priority has become to retain the classy ball-carrier, who is a key part of the next generation of talented players at the Saints alongside Darcy Wilson, Mattaes Phillipou, Alix Tauru, Mitch Owens, Tobie Travaglia, the injured Max King and uncontracted pair Marcus Windhager and Max Hall. The interested clubs are patiently waiting for him to decide where his future lies, with all parties accepting he will command more than $1 million per season wherever he plays. St Kilda have significant space in their salary cap, and both South Australian clubs have capacity to accommodate a salary of that nature if he decides to move. The greatest challenge if Wanganeen-Milera does decide to depart will be devising a trade that satisfies the Saints, who may be disinclined to accept future draft picks given his ability to fast-track their rebuild if he stays or, if he leaves, catapult a rival up the ladder.
