Should England's star batter stands as a once-in-a-generation player, his potential has to be realised in the present moment.

“You could call them shocking shots. I’ll admit that every day of the week. Especially the one in Perth. It was nearly a bouncer and I’ve tried to drive it. That was purely poor technique. My dismissal in Brisbane I looked to hit it for six. That illustrates my point when I say I need to show more restraint a bit.”

Indeed, Harry. This is true accountability. Give me that mild good sense into my waiting mind. Bombast shelved. Gamesmanship parked. Discuss adopting prudence again. Shock me with your filthy, filthy conservatism.

It is a mark of how far through an alternate dimension England’s Test cricket boosterism has travelled during the past 36 months that the most compelling rallying call emanating from this team right now is the statement of their premier batter saying, you know, I believe I’m going to be a bit more selective out there.

A Defining Juncture in a Scenic Setting

Yet, as the batsman observed in the concluding duties of media duties before Wednesday’s Adelaide Test, this truly is crunch time. One finds in Adelaide a serene, airy, structured kind of place. It appears an improbable stage for judgment days and endgames. It feels of a larger, squarer, temperate Nordic city. But this is the situation now, with reputations on the line, eras diced, the metaphorical gallows clanked into place.

The stakes extend beyond for this series and this leadership, but to some extent for the talisman himself, It-Boy of the present era. What must we supposed to make of Brook at this critical turning point in his own promising path? What is his essence? Is he great? Is he truly any good? Is he the ultimate example at being bad?

A Call for a Defining Contribution

England have been dismal up to now in the Ashes, performing poorly from Perth to Brisbane. But it is entirely plausible they might triumph in Adelaide. To make this a reality the most significant, most plausible intervention would be a Brook masterclass, an instance when he brings that clearly brilliant talent to the fore.

This would also be a fresh chapter, a levelling up. Notwithstanding the impressive statistics, the reality is that Brook lacks any truly iconic major occasion performances yet as an elite cricketer. Fifties in a shared series in England. A T20 World cup medal with limited time in the middle all tournament. Hit a ton in the IPL, then parted ways with the franchise, and indeed all of India.

“I am aware sometimes I need to rein it in a bit. Develop the skill to withstand the onslaught for longer periods, and recognise when the opportunity comes to put pressure back on them.”

Even his stellar Test figures are skewed by a skewed sample size by the oddities of the fixture list. Thus far half of Brook’s Test runs and over half of his 10 three-figure scores were scored in specific overseas conditions where he boasts an impressive 80. His remaining output, at home and in Australia, the figure falls to 41.

The Question of World-Class Ability

In the lead-up the former captain described Brook as “a rare talent”, carrying the typical implication that this lies in what he will achieve, that ability laid out like a spring-woken tree. But this is his generation, right here, currently. These are the occasions. Brook is almost 27 now. Which player does he want to be?

At present he remains one of those sports people who raise the basic question of the nature of top-level ability truly means. An absence of limits? The innate ability to perform acts others find impossible? Or is talent also the skill to marshal grit and ambition in such a way you genuinely influence the game. Some of the best Michael Atherton innings could feel like seeing a player trying to fight his way out of a broken clotheshorse while having balls aimed at his head. But he also salvaged numerous Tests.

So far Brook’s key contribution is to epitomise exactly the early gains of the age of Baz, while also blending in the sense of turning stale in its recklessness, manufactured rebellion, a specific brand of play.

The Forthcoming Test

That reckless dismissal in Brisbane, the aggressive stroke early in his innings to Mitchell Starc, was particularly perplexing because Brook had appeared so comfortable during the earlier part of his innings. An early delivery was dispatched crisply to the boundary like a table tennis ball skating along. He played a pre-planned hedgehog-roll scoop, a peculiar shot just over mid-wicket.

Such batting on the first day, behind after one Test, an entire tour resting on what happens in the next two hours. And suddenly England’s most skilled player was playing like he was the vintage version of Graeme Swann and England are 600 for six.

One might ask to what extent, as with his teammate, Brook has been hindered rather than freed by the overriding emphasis with aggression and attitude. The recently stated thoughtful, lead-up Brook sounded like he was grappling with basic questions of timing.

So England have “emphasised the need to stay in the moment”, while being guilty previously of “thinking about the future” (er, not so) you’d notice. “It is necessary to try and force the scoring opportunities. This could involve me charging the bowler or {chancing my guard|