Harry Brook Suggests Patience on Good Wicket as England Close Day One Strong in Sydney
England ended the first day of the Ashes 2025-26 in Sydney at 211-3, with Harry Brook and Joe Root unbroken on 154 runs. Brook scored 78 not out, marking his highest score of the series so far, in a partnership that strengthened England's position after a rain-affected day.
Brook described the pitch as a good wicket featuring bounce that started steep but then became lower and slower, which he found generally true. Both teams have opted not to field specialist spinners, with Australia leaving out Todd Murphy and England sidelining Shoaib Bashir, resulting in a seam-dominated bowling attack. Australia has deployed a five-seam bowler strategy.
Reflecting on his performance this series, Brook stated his plan to adopt more patience and rotate the strike, noting that while he has had promising starts, he has not converted many into big scores, considering this part of a learning curve.
