England batter Harry Brook bounced back strongly in the second Test against India. After getting out for a golden duck in the second innings of the first Test at Leeds, Brook was determined to prove himself.

He did just that on Day 3 of the second Test. With England struggling at 84 for 5 while chasing India’s huge first-innings total of 587, Brook stepped up. He scored a brilliant 158. Jamie Smith supported him with an even better 184. Together, they stitched a crucial 303-run stand that gave England some hope. Brook later said, “I was off the back of a golden duck so I just wanted to get off the mark.”

Hungry for Redemption After Missing Out Earlier

Brook had narrowly missed a century in the first Test. He had been dismissed for 99 in the first innings.

So, he came into this match with a clear goal. “I was definitely hungry to get a hundred today,” Brook said. “Obviously with the situation of the game, we were behind the eight-ball and to try to get the momentum to swing back in our favour, along with Smudge (Smith), was a good moment.”

India Still Hold the Advantage

Despite Brook and Smith's heroics, India remain ahead in the match. By the end of Day 3, India had reached 64 for 1 in their second innings. They now lead by 244 runs with two full days left.

Brook acknowledged India’s strong position. “India are in the driving seat,” he said. But he remained hopeful. “Hopefully we’ve clawed ourselves back into the game. I just tried to bat as long as I could. If I hadn’t got out, we wouldn’t be in this situation now, but we saw (at Headingley) last week how quickly it can change.”

He added, “Hopefully we can put pressure with early wickets and make them crumble.”

Brook Gives Credit to Indian Bowlers

Brook praised India’s disciplined bowling. “The Indians bowled really well with it. They came wide on the crease, attacked the stumps, kept all three modes of dismissal in play, and they made it do just enough to be able to get them wickets at the end there.”

He also admitted England’s bowlers had not found the right lengths in the evening session. “We didn’t get it quite right tonight. Hopefully, we can do that tomorrow morning. There’s plenty of wickets to be had out there.”