England's Harry Brook gave a peculiar explanation ahead of the 2nd IND vs ENG T20I in Chennai, attributing his struggles against Varun Chakravarthy in the first T20I to the city's smog, saying that it made the ball harder to spot. Indian cricket legends Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar took a jab at Brook's "smog claim" after the England batter fell victim once again to Chakravarthy in the second India vs England match at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium..
Brook, who was dismissed by Chakravarthy for 17 runs in the Kolkata T20I blamed smog for making it difficult to pick the Indian spinner’s deliveries and expressed hope for clearer conditions in Chennai.
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"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. Facing spin in T20 cricket is probably the hardest thing in the game, especially because I always get out trying to absolutely smack it," he had said.
Come the Chennai T20I, Brook once again fell victim to Chakravarthy’s bowling, getting bowled for just 13 runs. Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar didn’t hold back, trolling Brook for his ‘smog’ comments during the commentary.
"Once again, it's Varun Chakravarthy. You don't need the smog. This has sneaked through and it's crashed into the stumps," Ravi Shastri said in commentary.
"You said it, you said it. The light is clearer here in Chennai. There was some smog in the Eden Gardens Kolkata. No smog here, had no idea where the ball was going, hitting the top of the off-stop. Harry Brook gone for 13. And yes, I think Varun Chakravarthy is looking at him, maybe asking, ‘Look, is there any smoke there’?” Sunil Gavaskar also said while commentating.