Harry Brook hails ‘decent’ first day as England look to level Ashes

The hosts were dismissed in less than 55 overs after being sent in at the Kia Oval, in a game they need to win to salvage a drawn series, but tackled bowler-friendly conditions with their usual aggression to score at more than five-an-over.

They lost wickets in clusters, with a sequence of three for 11 hampering their progress in the morning session and another mini-collapse of four 28 clearing out their middle-order engine room.

Australia chose a different method, grinding their way to 61 for one in 25 overs to take the upper hand by stumps, but Brook was content with how things finished.

He top-scored with 85, striking 11 fours and two audacious sixes along the way, and felt England had marginally over-achieved given the gloomy skies and green-tinged surface.

“We feel pretty happy. We’ve had decent day in the end,” he said.

“We were all talking about 250 being a decent score at lunch time and got 33 more than that. We were happy with the way we scored our runs. We ended up scoring at a decent rate but they bowled well.

“When you put a team in you want to bowl them out, especially in a day, but we definitely played well and got up to a respectable total.”

Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja helped steer Australia to a promising position (Mike Egerton/PA)

That may not have been the case had it not been for Brook’s headline innings, his fourth and highest half-century of the series, but he almost departed for just five.

A booming drive off Pat Cummins made it only as far as Alex Carey’s glove, but the chance popped out and allowed England’s number five to wreak some havoc before eventually falling to Mitchell Starc.

“I got that little bit of luck early on, which helped, but I was just trying to be positive like I always am,” he said.

“I try to put the pressure back on them and try to take them off their lengths. I know it looks madness when we are out there and scoring quick, but we have always had little moments where we have had to rein it in and soak up pressure. I do look to score. If I’m just trying to survive I am pretty useless!”

England’s prospects of pushing for a series-levelling victory were dented by an injury to lead spinner Moeen Ali, who injured his thigh during a century stand with Brook and did not take the field.

Moeen Ali’s thigh injury could be a concern for England (Mike Egerton/PA)

With seamers dominating the evening session he was not missed immediately, but that could change as things progress.

“I don’t think he’s too good at the minute, but I’m not a physio so I can’t tell you too much about his injury,” said Brook, who encouraged Moeen to hit out after he received treatment.

“He is one of the best power hitters in the world and we’ve seen that in white-ball cricket. There’s probably not any better man out there to go and smack it really. It’s a shame he didn’t last a bit longer but the way he went about it after getting injured was perfect I thought.

“Hopefully he can come out there and bowl some overs for us tomorrow or get some runs in the next innings.”