Harry Brook's 'Smog' Excuse Backfires as Ashwin and Vaughan Take Aim in Rajkot
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England batsman Harry Brook continued to face scrutiny for his remarks regarding smog following the first T20I against India, as he struggled once again in Rajkot. Varun Chakaravarthy dismissed the promising English talent in the series opener for 17 runs, and his performance did not improve in the second T20I, where he was bowled out by the 33-year-old for just 13 runs. The 25-year-old faltered against spin in Rajkot as well, falling to Ravi Bishnoi for a mere 8 runs.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan took a subtle jab at Brook on X after his disappointing performance in the ongoing series.
"Is it Smoggy in Rajkot?" he posted on X, previously known as Twitter.
Ravichandran Ashwin, the esteemed Indian spin bowler who declared his retirement from international cricket last year, responded to Vaughan's post with a brief remark. "Just a little," he stated.
Prior to the second T20I, Brook attributed his team's difficulties against spin bowling to the presence of smog.
"Chakravarthy is an exceptionally skilled bowler," remarked the England vice-captain. "He is challenging to read, and the smog the other night made it even more difficult to see the ball. I hope the air is clearer here so we can see the ball more easily," Brook stated.
R Ashwin commended Adil Rashid
Ashwin also expressed admiration for England's leg spinner Adil Rashid, particularly for the remarkable delivery that led to the dismissal of the in-form Tilak Varma.
On the last ball of the eighth over, Rashid unleashed a stunning delivery that perplexed the young batsman. The experienced spinner bowled a well-flighted ball just outside off stump. Tilak attempted to create space by stepping back.
However, the ball moved through the air, gripped upon landing, and sharply turned inwards, evading the inside edge and striking the stumps. Rashid celebrated the pivotal wicket with a triumphant fist pump.
"An absolute gem. Scrambled seam and significant side spin. Excellent bowling by Adil Rashid," Ashwin commented on X while praising Rashid.
This marked Tilak's first dismissal in five innings during the T20I format. His impressive performances had previously yielded a total of 336 runs between his last two dismissals.
In the meantime, while pursuing a target of 172 runs, India struggled to maintain their composure on the sluggish pitch, ultimately finishing at 145/9. This was largely due to the efforts of Adil Rashid (1/15), Jamie Overton (3/24), and Brydon Carse (2/28) during the middle overs. India had secured victories in the first two T20Is held in Kolkata and Chennai, winning by margins of seven and two wickets, respectively. The fourth match is scheduled to take place in Pune on Friday.
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