Harry Brook has admitted England were 'a little bit careful' with the bat during their 30-run defeat to the West Indies in the T20 World Cup, but dismissed concerns over the team's ability to play spin in Asian conditions.
England collapsed from 74 for one to 141 for seven in Mumbai, with left-arm spinners Gudakesh Motie and Akeal Hosein, along with off-spinner Roston Chase, taking all six wickets after the powerplay. Sam Curran was left stranded on 43 not out as England were bowled out for 166.
Brook, who fell tamely to Motie, said: 'We were probably a little bit careful, myself included. With the power and depth we have, we do think we can chase almost anything. Obviously today we didn't. I'd much rather get caught on the boundary than the way I did today.'
The defeat has reignited questions about England's proficiency against spin on the subcontinent, but Brook pointed to recent white-ball victories in Sri Lanka as evidence of their capability. 'No, I don't think so. That series against Sri Lanka showed that, I thought we played spin really well out there. We've just had a bad day today,' he said.
Brook also backed Jofra Archer, who conceded 48 runs from four overs, saying: 'Everybody knows how good Jof is – he'll bounce back for sure.' He praised Adil Rashid's return of two for 16, calling it 'unbelievable'.
England must now win their final two Group C matches against Scotland and Italy to almost certainly secure progression to the Super Eights. 'We play Scotland and Italy next and we have to do our homework and get back to basics,' Brook added.
