Former Australia captain Greg Chappell feels England star Harry Brook ‘might have outpaced’ Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar in terms of early career stats.
Chappell drew a comparison of Brook’s performances and approach to Sachin in his early days. He lauded the English star saying that he is a player around whom England can build their future.
“Harry Brook, a batting sensation whose performances and approach I compare to the great Sachin Tendulkar. Remarkably, Brook’s early career stats suggest he might even have outpaced the Indian maestro in terms of impact at the same stage,” Chappell wrote in his column for Sydney Morning Herald.
“At just 25, Brook has rapidly become one of the most talked-about cricketers in the world. He boasts a simple but devastatingly effective batting method. Much like Tendulkar in his early years, Brook doesn’t move excessively in the crease before the ball is delivered,” he added.
It must be noted that Brook predominantly bats at No.5, Sachin batted at No.6 and 7 in his early days till 1992. In his first 14 Tests, Brook has made 1376 runs, all from No.5 or above, while Tendulkar had 814 runs in his first 14 games, all from No.6 or No.7.
Chappell acknowledged that the two players were in different age groups in their early careers. “To be fair, Sachin was still a teenager while Brook is in his mid-20s,” the Aussie legend said.
He also highlighted Brook’s approach. “His stability and minimalistic technique allow him to read the angles of the bowler and adjust his strokes with precision. The result? An extraordinary ability to score from most deliveries, whether they’re pitched full, short, or on an awkward length,” he added.
Chappell stated that Sachin’s brilliance in the early days was due to his ability to use the pace of the bowlers. “Tendulkar’s early brilliance lay in his ability to use the bowler’s pace to his advantage, scoring heavily on both sides of the wicket. Brook, though a bigger and more powerful player physically, has a strikingly similar ability to manipulate the field with wristy flicks, crunching drives, and punishing back-foot shots,” he said.