3 reasons why England need not worry despite Harry Brook's absence from India Tests

England's rising star Harry Brook will not be a part of the team for the upcoming five-match World Test Championship series against India. The 24-year-old batter was named in the squad, but he pulled out recently owing to personal reasons.

England and Wales Cricket Board has named Dan Lawrence as the replacement for Harry Brook. Many fans expected Brook to be a game-changer for England in this series. Notably, he has scored 1,181 runs in just 12 Test matches at an average of 62.15 and a strike rate of 91.76. He has already recorded four Test hundreds and seven half-centuries.

Although Brook's withdrawal will hurt England a bit, here are three reasons why the visitors need not worry despite the 24-year-old batter's absence from the India Tests.

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#1 Harry Brook does not have a great record in Indian conditions

Brook has never played a Test match in India before. He played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2023, where he scored 190 runs in 11 matches. It is pertinent to note that the 24-year-old batter scored 100 out of those 190 runs in one inning, meaning he managed just 90 runs in the other 10 games.

Unsurprisingly, the Sunrisers Hyderabad released him from their IPL squad. Brook's IPL salary also reduced significantly at the recent auction, where the Delhi Capitals secured his services.

Brook has played Tests in SENA countries or on the flat tracks of Pakistan. Considering how he performed in IPL, it seemed unlikely that the English batter would succeed in the Tests against India. Hence, his absence may not impact England much.

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#2 Dan Lawrence brings some crucial experience to the table

As mentioned ahead, Harry Brook has zero experience of playing Test cricket in India. Meanwhile, his replacement Dan Lawrence was a part of the England squad that toured India for a four-match Test series in 2021. Lawrence played in three out of the four matches and scored a half-century on the challenging surface at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Since Lawrence achieved some success during his last tour of India, he would enter the field with more confidence this time and could score big for England in the upcoming series.

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#3 Harry Brook's absence may allow England to pick both Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes in the playing XI

Jonny Bairstow has a ton of experience of playing in Indian conditions. Meanwhile, Ben Foakes has been impressive behind the stumps while playing in Test matches in the subcontinental region.

If Brook was available, England captain Ben Stokes would have to make a tough call to pick either Bairstow or Foakes. Now that Brook isn't playing, the selection headache no longer exists for England.

The England team management can select Bairstow as a pure batter at number four because he recently returned from a lengthy injury break. Foakes can be the wicketkeeper batter at number five. If this team combination works out, it can benefit the England team in future Test matches as well.