After Harry Brook’s failure this summer’s test, he must relocate his patience

A testing summer that started with a bang ended in mixed feelings for Harry Brook.

There is no doubt that Brook has the skills to become a great Test batsman. An average of 53.7 in his first two years proves that. As does the three-year contract England offered him a year ago and his position in the top five of the ICC’s Test batsmen rankings.

In July at Trent Bridge, when he scored his first century at home (he had scored four overseas), he looked imperious, outperforming even fellow centurion Joe Root. It seemed unthinkable, at that stage, that Brook’s summer would end with an average of 37.7. Solid, but unspectacular, and probably weak for a player of his talent against attacks of the quality of the West Indies and Sri Lanka, in home conditions. Four of his eight innings ended with scores in the thirties.

None of those scores in the thirties came at the Kia Oval where, for the first time, he failed to reach 30 in either innings of a Test while batting twice. That statistic reveals how well he has played so far in Test cricket, and especially the ease with which he has settled in – unlike Ollie Pope – in the innings so far, but also the little lull he has had here. He made a wild, impatient 19 in the first innings, then fell for three in the second.

England always had an air of overly aggressive complacency in their final Test of the summer. Ollie Pope’s first-innings players were unconcerned about saving runs, while his insistence on staying on the field when he was unable to set the pace on the second afternoon gifted Sri Lanka runs while rarely threatening to take wickets. The first 11 wickets England lost in the match were all through catches, every one of them through attacking shots.

Every now and then – think of the defeat in Wellington, the Ashes Test at Edgbaston, Rajkot in February – this England team gets a little drunk on its own reserves. There are worse times for that to happen – when the series is won and their World Test Championship hopes are dashed – but it is time they learned the lessons.

Brook’s play in the first innings is a case in point. Just as at Lord’s, he was soundly bowled out early on. He was quickly frustrated by Sri Lanka’s insistence on bowling a fifth or sixth stump line, moving his guard outside off stump to pick up the ball, before breaking through to extra cover, where a clean catch was taken.

Ricky Ponting, the great Australian batsman, had predicted the dismissal in commentary and other teams, including India and Australia, who England will play in mouth-watering competitions next year, will have taken note. Brook was simply telling him how to bowl. Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka’s head coach and himself no stranger to punching, felt his team had managed to “frustrate” Brook.

Brook’s fellow Yorkshireman was also frustrated. “Be careful, Harry Brook,” Vaughan told Test Match Special. “He’s a brilliant player. He’s as good as I’ve seen. I’m going to go for the Kevin Pietersen style. He’s an incredible player. But don’t make fun of the game. Be very careful.” Vaughan encouraged Brook to take a breath and play himself.

In his second innings, Brook was less guilty, falling in the middle of a fine sequence from Vishwa Fernando. He got a glimpse of Fernando’s plan – full and direct – by dismissing Joe Root an over earlier, mind you. At this stage, England desperately needed Brook to step up as a senior player – he is vice-captain and will captain the ODI team later this month.

Brook has never looked out of form this summer, but he has lacked a bit of ruthlessness. In that, he is not alone in this England batting order. Ben Duckett has three centuries in 50 Test innings, and has fallen twice in this match with dismissals that could have seen Pietersen use the time-honoured “that’s how I play” defence. Zak Crawley has four centuries in 86 innings, and has hit 60 five times this year without reaching 80. If England are to beat India, Australia or both, they will need to develop a taste for ruthlessness. They talk a lot about these series, but not about reaching the 500-plus scores that will be needed to win.

Paul Collingwood, the England assistant coach, was right when he said Brook was “as exciting a batsman as you’ll see anywhere in the world”. But it is only by rediscovering his patience and rhythm that he can realise his incredible potential.