Joe Root has scored over 5,000 Test runs with the help of 19 hundreds since 2021. However, Ricky Ponting doesn’t think that the former England captain is currently the best batter in the longest format of the game. Instead, he heaped massive praise on Harry Brook, calling him the best in red-ball cricket. Brook has dethroned his teammate Root from the top of the ICC Test Rankings for Batters. The 25-year-old has scored two consecutive Test centuries against New Zealand in the ongoing three-Test series.

When asked if Harry was the best in Test cricket, Ponting said yes. The 49-year-old mentioned that Brook scores his runs quickly.

“He (Harry Brook) is the best Test batter in the world currently. He has been scoring big centuries away from home. He scored his seventh away Test ton out of eight or nine hundreds. This is how he scores his runs and he is real quick under this new management. I like his batting,” Ricky Ponting told the ICC.

He has managed only one Test hundred at home, which was recorded against the visiting West Indies earlier this year. Brook amassed a triple hundred against Pakistan in Multan.

Delhi Capitals had bought Harry Brook for INR 4 crore head of IPL 2024 when Ponting was the franchise’s head coach.

However, Brook opted out of the season due to the demise of his grandmother. He was again bought by DC in the mega auction. They paid INR 6.25 crore for the services of the start batter ahead of IPL 2025.