‘Is there any smog there?’
Harry Brook, the English middle-order batter, faced criticism after being dismissed by Varun Chakravarthy for the second consecutive time in the ongoing T20I series against India.
Brook's dismissal in Chennai came after he had previously commented on the impact of smog during the first T20I in Kolkata, stating that it made it difficult to see the ball.
During Brook's dismissal in Chennai, commentators Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri subtly referenced his earlier comments, implying that the clearer air in Chennai hadn't helped him.
Chakravarthy’s delivery was a masterpiece of deception, pitching well outside off-stump and turning sharply to beat Brook’s defense. The ball sneaked through the gap between his bat and pad, leaving the batter utterly clueless. Brook departed for 13, and the commentators didn’t hold back in their response.
“You don’t need the smog. Once again, it is Varun Chakravarthy. This has sneaked through and crashed into the stumps,” remarked Shastri, clearly enjoying the irony.
Gavaskar chimed in with a pointed dig, “You said it, you said it. The light is clearer here. In Kolkata, there was some smog. No smog here. Had no idea where the ball was going. Harry Brook gone for 13. Chakravarthy is maybe asking, ‘Is there any smog there?’”
Brook’s pre-match comments, where he acknowledged Chakravarthy’s skill but blamed Kolkata’s air quality for making the spinner hard to pick, now appear even more misplaced.
“Chakravarthy is an exceptionally good bowler. But with the smog the other night, it was a lot harder to pick. Hopefully, the air is a bit clearer here, and we can see the ball a bit easier,” Brook had said ahead of the match.
However, in Chennai’s clear skies, Chakravarthy proved equally unplayable, leaving Brook and England reeling once again.
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