Brook braced for more Indian spice

HARRY Brook insisted England “don’t always have to be nice” as they prepare to resume hostilities against India after tensions threatened to boil over last time out at Lord’s.

- BY DAVID CHARLESWORTH

After exchanging good-natured wins at Headingley and Edgbaston, the Rothesay Test series grew testy at the home of cricket as India’s fielders clashed with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett in a time-wasting row.

That lit a fire under England when it was their turn to field, with Jofra Archer giving a pumped-up sendoff to Rishabh Pant while Brydon Carse and Ravindra Jadeja were involved in a mid-pitch collision.

India crumbled to 170 all out in pursuit of 193 to fall 2-1 down ahead of this week's penultimate Test at Emirates Old Trafford, but Brook did not think England crossed any line in their pursuit of victory.