Harry Brook Disagrees with Player of the Series Honour: "Root Deserved It More"

Despite being named England’s Player of the Series by India head coach Gautam Gambhir, batter Harry Brook has humbly rejected the accolade, stating that Joe Root was more deserving due to his consistent performances throughout the five-Test series.

BROOK ACKNOWLEDGES ROOT'S SUPERIOR STATS

Brook amassed an impressive 481 runs at an average of 53.44, including a commanding 111 on the final day at The Oval. However, he believes Root’s consistent run-scoring, which made him England’s top scorer in the series with 537 runs at 67.12, made a stronger case for the award.

“I didn’t score as many runs as Rooty, so I probably think he should be Man of the Series or Man of the Summer,” Brook said. “He has been for many years.”

AWARD SYSTEM AND GAMBHIR'S CHOICE

In England, two Player of the Series awards are given one chosen by each team's head coach. England’s coach Brendon McCullum selected India captain Shubman Gill, while Gambhir picked Brook as England’s standout performer after the fiercely contested series ended in a 2-2 draw.

Brook’s attacking century at The Oval had seemingly set England on course for a record chase, but his dismissal turned the tide. England collapsed from a strong position, eventually losing by just six runs, with the hosts going down 7 for 66 after his departure.

REFLECTING ON THE FINAL DAY COLLAPSE

Brook opened up about his mindset during the final day of the fifth Test. With Root at the other end, he believed the game was in England’s hands.

“My thought process was just to try and hit as many runs as quickly as possible,” he said during the post-match presentation. “The game's done if we need 40 runs with me and Rooty in there. If I get out there, the game's still done. Obviously, it didn’t work.”

SPEAKING TO BBC’S TEST MATCH SPECIAL, HE ADDED

“At the time, I was very confident. If I’d got a quick 30 in the next couple of overs, then the game is done. That was my thought process. I always try to take the game on and put them under pressure… I wish I were there at the end.”

Brook’s ambitious attempt to clear Akash Deep over extra cover resulted in a crucial breakthrough for India and shifted momentum decisively in their favour.

PRIDE IN PERFORMANCE DESPITE THE RESULT

Although the series ended in disappointment for Brook and England, he expressed satisfaction with his overall contribution.

“I’ve played all right,” he said. “I could have won that game yesterday, which is devastating, but I’m just happy to contribute to as many games as I can.”

LOOKING AHEAD: WHITE-BALL CRICKET AND LEADERSHIP ROLE

With the red-ball season wrapped up, Brook now prepares for a quick transition to white-ball cricket. He is set to lead Northern Superchargers in The Hundred, and will soon take charge in England’s limited-overs series against South Africa and Ireland.

“My first game is on Thursday, so it’s a fairly quick turnaround,” Brook noted. “There’s a lot of cricket to be played… hopefully, everybody stays fit and we’ll be raring to go.”