England's captain Harry Brook has slammed the pitch used for their second ODI against Sri Lanka in Colombo, calling it "probably the worst" he's ever played on. The 26-year-old all-rounder was critical of the surface that helped his team secure a five-wicket victory, thanks to Joe Root's match-winning 75.
Brook's comments came after England bowled an astonishing 40.3 overs of spin in the match - the most they have sent down in an ODI - eclipsing the 36 overs they bowled in a 50-over match against Pakistan in Sharjah in 1985. The tourists used six spinners for the first time in the format, and managed to extract significant turn from the pitch, increasing their average of spin by 15%.
The England captain's assessment was scathing, with Brook stating that he had to adapt quickly on the challenging surface. "You had to go out there and get off strike as quickly as possible and try to get the other batter on strike," he said.
While Brook reserved praise for his fellow Yorkshireman Joe Root, who played a masterful innings given the conditions. Root's application at the crease, combined with his lightness of foot and ability to pick the Sri Lankan spinners made him the key man in England's chase against the turning ball.
Brook's comments have raised questions about the suitability of the Colombo pitch for ODI cricket, with Root describing it as a "very difficult surface" that was not conducive to the format. The pitch has been known to turn significantly, and England will be hoping that their experience in playing on such surfaces will serve them well in the rest of the series.
Brook's comments came after England bowled an astonishing 40.3 overs of spin in the match - the most they have sent down in an ODI - eclipsing the 36 overs they bowled in a 50-over match against Pakistan in Sharjah in 1985. The tourists used six spinners for the first time in the format, and managed to extract significant turn from the pitch, increasing their average of spin by 15%.
The England captain's assessment was scathing, with Brook stating that he had to adapt quickly on the challenging surface. "You had to go out there and get off strike as quickly as possible and try to get the other batter on strike," he said.
While Brook reserved praise for his fellow Yorkshireman Joe Root, who played a masterful innings given the conditions. Root's application at the crease, combined with his lightness of foot and ability to pick the Sri Lankan spinners made him the key man in England's chase against the turning ball.
Brook's comments have raised questions about the suitability of the Colombo pitch for ODI cricket, with Root describing it as a "very difficult surface" that was not conducive to the format. The pitch has been known to turn significantly, and England will be hoping that their experience in playing on such surfaces will serve them well in the rest of the series.
! 40.3 overs of spin? that's wild! i mean, it was a good win for england but brook's comments are kinda harsh 
. maybe he just didn't like the way the ball bounced or something? anyway, glad joe root stepped up and saved the day 
. but yeah, the pitch does seem pretty tricky to play on... hope they get some luck in the rest of the series 
it sounds so hard for the players to adapt to the spin and everything! brook is right, u gotta get off strike ASAP and try to make the other player struggle... seems like a real challenge 
anyway, cant wait to see how england does in the rest of the series 
and i gotta say, that colombo pitch was a total nightmare for the batsmen! 40+ overs of spin bowled by england? that's insane 
. but you have to give credit to joe root for handling that surface like a pro 
. maybe england can use their experience to help sri lanka adjust to these conditions and make the game more competitive? 
they have to deal with those crazy Sri Lankan spinners all the time! 40.3 overs is insane, and it's like they're trying to break some kind of record? 
anyway, hopefully they can find a way to tame that pitch in the rest of the series... fingers crossed for them 
i mean bro 40+ overs of spin? that's just ridiculous! did they even test it beforehand or was it just a "let's see what happens" kinda situation 
i'm no expert but even joe root is saying it's a "very difficult surface"... yeah no kidding, bro! 
I mean, it's like he was saying "this surface is basically impossible to master"! 
I get why he'd want to adapt quickly and not get stuck on strike for too long, but 40.3 overs of spin? That's crazy! 
And Root just played an amazing game, so it's hard to complain about the pitch when he was doing so well! 
Still, you gotta wonder if England can keep up the momentum against more challenging surfaces in this series... fingers crossed for them though! 
i mean come on harry brook you're not exactly breaking new ground with that tactic 
The spinners were on fire and it was like they were bowling on different days. And what's with the 40+ overs of spin in an ODI? Like, that's not cricket anymore!