IND Vs ENG 2nd ODI 2026: Harry Brook Blames Pitch For Birmingham Defeat, Hopes England 'Come Back Stronger' In Cardiff | VIDEO
· Free Press Journal
Cardiff, July 15: England white-ball captain Harry Brook has opened up on his team's defeat against India in the IND vs ENG 1st ODI at Edgbaston and said the hosts will look to come back stronger in the second ODI in Cardiff. Brook blamed the nature of the pitch for their defeat during a press conference ahead of the second ODI.
Visit extonnews.click for more information.
England suffered a disappointing defeat in the series opener after being restricted to 258 while batting first. Joe Root and Liam Dawson helped the team recover with an important partnership, but India chased down the target in 45.2 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.
Confidence remains high.
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 15, 2026
Harry Brook believes England can bounce back, explaining how the pitch changed after the first innings and made batting much easier in the chase.#ENGvIND 2nd ODI THU, 16th JULY, 4:30 PM on JioHotstar! pic.twitter.com/38Kf1nZDxC
Harry Brook Blames Pitch For Defeat
Speaking ahead of the second ODI, Brook said the pitch changed from the first innings to the second and became easier to bat on during India's chase.
"...pitch changed a little bit from the first innings to the second innings, which made it easier for them to chase down what we thought at the halfway line was a decent score," Brook said.
England believed 258 was a competitive total at the halfway stage. However, the conditions became better for batting as India comfortably completed the chase.
Hopes For Strong Comeback
Brook admitted that England still have several areas to improve and sharpen up. However, he played down talk about the ODI World Cup, saying the tournament is still a long way away.
"There's always areas you want to get better at in any format, in any game you play. There's plenty of areas you always want to get better at and sharpen up as much as you can, but the World Cup is a long way away," Brook said.
IND Vs ENG 2nd ODI 2026: Confident Team India Arrives In Cardiff With 1-0 Lead After Birmingham Win | VIDEOThe England captain is now focused on the next match and hopes his team can bounce back in Cardiff.
"Hopefully, we can come back stronger in Cardiff," he added.
India and England will face each other in the second ODI in Cardiff on Thursday (July 16). Team India currently lead the three-match ODI series 1-0 after winning the opening match in Birmingham.