Greg Chappell compares Harry Brook to Sachin Tendulkar

Former Australia captain Greg Chappell has compared England’s Harry Brook with one of the greatest batters of all time, Sachin Tendulkar.

“Harry Brook, a batting sensation whose performances and approach I compare to the great Sachin Tendulkar,” Chappell wrote in his column for the Sydney Morning Herald. 

“Remarkably, Brook’s early career stats suggest he might even have outpaced the Indian maestro in terms of impact at the same stage.

“At just 25, Brook has rapidly become one of the most talked-about cricketers in the world. He boasts a simple but devastatingly effective batting method.Much like Tendulkar in his early years, Brook doesn’t move excessively in the crease before the ball is delivered.”

Brook has had some start to his Test career. The middle-order right-handed batter has played 24 Tests and slammed 2281 runs at an average of 58.48 and a stunning strike rate of 88.37. Across 40 innings, Brooks has hit eight tons and 10 fifties.

“Comparing their first 15 Tests reveals an eye-opening narrative. Tendulkar scored 837 runs at an average of just under 40, with a couple of centuries. Brook, in contrast, had made 1378 runs at an average of nearly 60, with five hundreds,” said Chappell.

“To be fair, Sachin was still a teenager while Brook is in his mid-20s. Brook’s ability to combine aggression with consistency makes him a nightmare for bowlers because, much like Tendulkar, he’s incredibly hard to contain. 

“For England, he’s not just a bright prospect; he’s a player around whom their future could be built.”

Talking about Brook and Tendulkar’s batting techniques, Chappell added: “Brook’s stability and minimalistic technique allow him to read the angles of the bowler and adjust his strokes with precision. The result? An extraordinary ability to score from most deliveries, whether they’re pitched full, short, or on an awkward length.

“Tendulkar’s early brilliance lay in his ability to use the bowler’s pace to his advantage, scoring heavily on both sides of the wicket. Brook, though a bigger and more powerful player physically, has a strikingly similar ability to manipulate the field with wristy flicks, crunching drives, and punishing back-foot shots.”