He was looking dangerous, to the point that it almost seemed hard to picture a ball he hasn’t hit off the middle of the bat. He was the owner of all three of England’s boundaries since the third over. A blistering sweep. A clever reverse sweep and a powerful slog. All three shots required a batter to be well informed about the pace of the pitch. They were signs that Brook was well set.
But there is no such thing against a wristspinner of Kuldeep’s class. Everybody marvels at how quickly Bumrah adapts to conditions to bowl the right length from the outset. Kuldeep’s ability to undo batters coming hard at him deserves the same kind of adulation. Sensing that Brook was going to play cross-bat to compensate for not picking him out of the hand, Kuldeep pushes one through flatter and quicker. He has also seen the batter go for another reverse sweep so to prevent him from making contact, he also shifts his line onto leg stump. His reversed bat swing prevents him from reaching that area. Exquisite.