England captain Harry Brook brushed aside suggestions that his team struggles against quality spin, despite their vulnerabilities being exposed in a 30-run defeat to the West Indies in a Group C clash of the T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.

Chasing 197, England were bowled out for 166 in 19 overs, with six batters falling to spin. Gudakesh Motie (3/33) led the charge, while Roston Chase (2/29) and Akeal Hosein (1/32) exploited the grip and turn on offer on a surface that remained good for batting but rewarded disciplined spin.

“I don’t think so,” Brook said when asked if England have an issue against spin. He pointed to their recent 3-0 series win over spin-heavy Sri Lanka as evidence.

“That series against Sri Lanka showed that we can play spin well. I thought we handled it nicely there. Tonight, they bowled well and kept themselves in the game. We lost wickets in clusters, which never really helps.”

England had narrowly escaped with a four-run win over Nepal in their opener, while West Indies have now registered two convincing victories.

Brook admitted England may have misread the conditions.

“We didn’t quite execute well enough with the ball and they probably got 15-20 runs too many,” he said. “We thought the target was chaseable. We expected dew to come in and help the ball slide on, but it didn’t get as dewy as we thought.”

“Chasing nearly 200 is always tough. We felt the pitch would improve for batting in the second half, but that didn’t happen.”

Hope pleased with Windies’ show

In contrast, West Indies captain Shai Hope was delighted with his team’s second straight win of the tournament.

“Maybe it was just around par, but we were happy to get something competitive on the board. In a World Cup game, that pressure alone can add 10-20 runs. The key was to maximise with the bat and then execute with the ball,” Hope said.

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He described the inclusion of Roston Chase as a tactical move that paid off handsomely. Chase contributed with both bat and ball, providing stability in the middle overs and picking up crucial wickets.

“It was a tactical change. He’s someone we can call upon at any moment. We understood the threat their left-handers posed, and he was crucial for us — not just with the ball but also in stabilising the innings,” Hope said.

“He’s a utility player you can always depend on.”

Hope also lauded Player of the Match Sherfane Rutherford, whose unbeaten 76 anchored the West Indies innings.

“He’s always been a hard worker. He’s very diligent in his preparation and backs himself throughout his sessions. That hasn’t changed since he first came into the team.”

Chase, however, dismissed the idea that he enjoys a particular edge over England.

“It’s not about England specifically. Whenever I step on the field, I just want to do my best — whether that’s bowling tight or taking wickets,” he said.