'Played everywhere, against everyone' - Brook banks on Dawson's experience for 4th Test

Dawson, who last played a Test in July 2017, replaces injured Shoaib Bashir.

When Liam Dawson was named in England’s starting lineup for the forthcoming fourth Test in the current five-match series against India, Harry Brook had nothing but praise for him. Shoaib Bashir had an injury, but it was to his non-bowling hand, so Dawson, 35, took his place. He will play in his first red-ball match since July 2017.

Regarding his all-around abilities, the England hitter shared his thoughts on the expertise the all-rounder brought to the setup. Given Dawson’s track record with the bat, he also praised his desire to win and said it was a great asset to the team. The young batter believes that having men like Dawson in the locker room is always beneficial.

He’s a cunning old fox with a wealth of expertise. He is also a highly skilled cricket player. He has played against everyone and everywhere. In order to add some flavour and provide opportunities to take wickets, he should be able to land it in the foot-holes. Given that he has over 20 (18) First-Class hundreds, it is clear that he is also an excellent batter. That strengthens our batting position. He is a decent man who is always ready to defend the team. It’s nice to have him here, and he’s really competitive,” he stated at Monday’s pregame press conference.

I’ll gladly give it to him because I’m not in his league: Brook

In what has been a see-saw battle between two of the most reliable individuals in the English squad, the No. 5 hitter provided insight into the recent change in the ICC rankings for Test batters, where Joe Root overtook him as the No. 1 batter.

“Don’t you think that everyone aspires to be the best? Perhaps more than anybody else, him. He is a terrific player. I’ll gladly give it to him because I’m not on the same level as him. He has been playing for 12 or 13 years, or however long he has been playing. I’ll give him that one for the time being because, in my opinion, he’s the greatest Test hitter of all time,” Brook continued.

Thanks to their exciting 22-run victory at Lord’s, England now leads the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy by a 2-1 margin. Old Trafford in Manchester will host the fourth Test starting on Wednesday, July 23.