NEW DELHI: Legendary Sunil Gavaskar and former India head coach Ravi Shastri on Saturday roasted Harry Brook on-air after the England vice-captain was bamboozled by spinner Varun Chakravarthy during the second T20I in Chennai.
The Gavaskar and Shastri tease came after Brook had blamed evening smog in Kolkata that made it harder for the England batters to pick mystery spinner.
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The incident took place in the seventh over of the England innings, when Varun got one of his delivery to nip back in as he went through Brook’s bat and pad and crashed into the stumps.
Soon after the bails were knocked off, a deceived Brook had a smile on his face as Shastri was heard saying on-air, ” you don’t need the smog tonight. This one has sneaked through.”
Shastri’s fellow commentator Gavaskar was then heard saying, “You said it, you said it. The light is clearer here in Chennai. There was some smog in the Eden Gardens Kolkata. No smog here, had no idea where the ball was going, hitting the top of the off-stop. Harry Brook gone for 13, 3 down 59. And yes, I think Varun Chakravarthy is looking at him, maybe asking, look, is there any smoke there.”
After England’s defeat in the series opener, Brook had said that smog made it difficult to play India spinners.
“Chakaravarthy is an exceptionally good bowler,” Brook had told the Daily Telegraph.
“But with the smog the other night, it was a lot harder to pick. Hopefully the air is a bit clearer here and we can see the ball a bit easier.”
“Facing spin in T20 cricket is probably the hardest thing in the game, especially because I always get out trying to absolutely smack it,” he said.
In the second T20I in Chennai, skipper Jos Buttler hit a brisk 45 while Brydon Carse scored 31 to lift England to 165 for 9.