Sat Jan 25 22:40:04 IST 2025: ## Brook’s “Smog” Comments Backfire as Chakravarthy Strikes Again
**Chennai, India** – England’s Harry Brook faced a swift and embarrassing rebuke after his earlier comments about Kolkata’s smog hindering visibility proved ironic during the second T20I against India. The middle-order batter, dismissed for 13 by Varun Chakravarthy for the second consecutive match, became the target of playful yet pointed commentary from Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri.
Brook, who previously complained about the difficulty of facing spinners in the smog-filled Kolkata atmosphere, was once again bamboozled by Chakravarthy’s sharp turn, the ball sneaking through the gap between bat and pad. Shastri, on air, quipped, “You don’t need the smog. Once again, it is Varun Chakravarthy. This has sneaked through, and it’s crashed into the stumps.” Gavaskar added, “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?’”
The match itself saw India win the toss and elect to bowl first, making two changes to their lineup. England also made two substitutions. India won the first T20I by seven wickets. Brook’s dismissal highlights a continuing struggle against Chakravarthy, and serves as a memorable example of a player’s pre-match comments backfiring spectacularly on the field.
First Piper 