harry brook
Cricket

Stokes is “thrilled” to see Harry Brook make his England debut against South Africa

England captain Ben Stokes expressed excitement over Harry Brook’s Test debut after revealing the Yorkshire batsman will replace the injured Jonny Bairstow in the series finale versus South Africa.

Brook is the only new player in the England team that tied the three-match series with a formidable win in the second Test at Old Trafford after Bairstow was injured playing golf. Stokes said ahead of the game that Bairstow unable to play will be a big loss, but the team is excited for Brook to make his debut because he has a lot of promise. Bairstow has been in great shape this year. In 10 Tests, he has scored 1,061 runs, including six centuries.

“Harry is someone who has been spoken about a lot as representing England going forward,” Stokes told reporters, on the eve of the deciding Test. “It’s amazing how sometimes people’s opportunities get presented to them… He deserved his opportunity to be in the squad initially and he deserves his opportunity this week.”

The skipper said he felt “devastated” for Bairstow, who will also miss the T20 World Cup in Australia, which starts next month. “He’s been a massive reason as to why we’ve had such a successful summer,” he added. “It was a freak accident.”

Stokes told reporters: “The way in which our middle order has been playing this summer, I feel as if Harry coming in, the way he goes about his game with the bat in his hand is pretty much a like-for-like replacement. He’s always going to look to take the bowling on, take the positive option. It’s obviously devastating to not have Jonny but I’m very excited we get a replacement with the skill Jonny possesses.”

South Africa’s fast bowling had been excellent throughout the tour, but England thrashed them in the second Test match with a comeback spearheaded by skipper Ben Stokes.

Brook, who is 23 years old, has played for England in four Twenty20 internationals. South Africa won the first Test at Lord’s by an innings and 12 runs, but England won the second Test in Manchester by an innings and 85 runs in a match that was over in three days.

“We know that South Africa are always going to stay in the game and stay in the moment,” said Stokes.

“We put the Lord’s defeat behind us and we concentrated on Manchester so I know that Dean and the South Africa team will be doing the same thing here. I think it’s great for the series that it goes down to the wire. I know that South Africa are going to come out firing but it’s how we respond to the questions that they ask us,” remarked Stokes.

As the South Africans try to bounce back from a big loss, captain Dean Elgar is treating the Test at the Oval “like a World Cup final.”

“It’s almost like a World Cup final for us, that’s how I see it,” Elgar said told reporters. South Africa have not failed a Test series since Elgar took over as captain last year, and the 35-year-old opener is well aware of the stakes.

“It’s the biggest Test of my captaincy so far,” he remarked. “The players are aware of it. They sense it. You must empty the tank. Nothing can be left behind. It means a lot to us.”

He also added: “We know if we manage to win this game we’re back at number one. It’s pretty much like a World Cup final for us, that’s the way I’m viewing it.”

harry brookThe series is tied at 1-1 as the last Test match of the summer approaches.

England Team for Third Test

  • Alex Lees
  • Zak Crawley
  • Ollie Pope
  • Joe Root
  • Harry Brook
  • Ben Stokes (c)
  • Ben Foakes
  • Stuart Broad
  • Ollie Robinson
  • Jack Leach
  • Jimmy Anderson
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