Harry Brook Celebrates Joe Root's Return to No. 1 in ICC Test Rankings
Brook Praises Root's Achievement
Manchester [UK], July 21: England cricketer Harry Brook expressed admiration for Joe Root, who has regained the top position in the ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings following his outstanding performance that led England to a narrow 22-run victory over India at Lord's on Monday.
Root, with 888 rating points, has overtaken fellow Englishman Harry Brook, who has 862 points, thanks to his impressive innings of 104 and 40 runs, helping England secure a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Brook referred to Root as the greatest Test batsman in history.
“Everyone aspires to be number one, right? Joe [Root] likely desires it more than anyone. He’s an exceptional player. I don’t consider myself in his league, so I’m more than happy to let him hold that title. He has been playing for 12-13 years, and in my view, he’s the best Test batter ever, so I’ll concede that to him for now,” Brook stated during a press conference.
The upcoming fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 is scheduled to take place at Old Trafford in Manchester starting July 23. England currently leads the fiercely contested series 2-1.
Brook also commended Jofra Archer, noting how impressive it was to see him bowl at nearly 94mph consistently. “His opening spell was incredible to witness; he was swinging the ball and bowling at nearly 94mph every delivery. Facing that is quite challenging. I must admit, with the slope, it was just fantastic to see him take a wicket in his first over,” he remarked.
Brook acknowledged India's resilience and their capability to bounce back, stressing the importance of focusing on their own performance. “India is a formidable team; they can recover at any moment. We witnessed that after defeating them at Headingley, they responded with an excellent performance at Edgbaston. Therefore, we need to concentrate on our game,” Brook added.
Throughout the ongoing series, Brook has shown remarkable consistency, amassing 314 runs in three matches, including one century and one fifty, with a top score of 158 and an average of 52.33.