![England's Stokes 'excited' to see Brook debut against South Africa](https://www.berlinertageblatt.de/media/shared/articles/05/3d/ff/England-s-Stokes--excited--to-see-B-618561.jpg)
-
Coughlin clings to lead at LPGA Canadian Women's Open
-
Trump offers tech sector policy flips ahead of election
-
Spacecraft to swing by Earth, Moon on path to Jupiter
-
What's the fallout of Mexican drug lords' capture?
-
Video game makers see actors as AI 'data,' says union on strike
-
Chinese qualifier Shang to face Thompson in ATP Atlanta semis
-
Concern grows as Venezuela blocks election observers
-
'Massive attack' on French rail threatens more chaos
-
'We did it!': France breathes sigh of relief after Olympics ceremony
-
Blinken, in Laos, set for talks with Chinese foreign minister
-
Regional concern grows as Venezuela blocks vote observers
-
Historic river parade, Dion show-stopper ignite Paris Olympics
-
Rainy Paris Olympic parade dampens many spectators' spirits
-
G20 pledges to work together to tax ultra-rich
-
The one of a kind Paris opening ceremony: five memorable moments
-
Justin Timberlake seeks to dismiss DUI case
-
Warner Brothers Discovery sues NBA over Amazon rights deal
-
Kobe Bryant locker, Maradona jersey up for auction in New York
-
Historic river parade launches Paris Olympics
-
Stocks rise as US inflation data boosts rate cut hopes
-
New York family of Holocaust victim reclaims Nazi-looted art
-
NASA Mars rover captures rock that could hold fossilized microbes
-
Thousands evacuate season's biggest wildfire in northern California
-
Sinaloa Cartel co-founder pleads not guilty after stunning US capture
-
Ethiopia mourns victims of landslide tragedy
-
Lady Gaga adds sparkle to star-studded Olympic show
-
Airbus and Boeing supremacy secure despite turbulence
-
Teams sail down Seine in rain-soaked Olympics opening ceremony
-
Norris hoping for more after topping Belgian practice times
-
West Indies' treble strike rocks England in third Test
-
Trump slams rivals as he meets Netanyahu in Florida
-
Olympic opening ceremony under way on River Seine
-
Mott's England future uncertain as ECB chief fails to offer support
-
Trump meets Israeli PM Netanyahu in Florida
-
S.African police say 95 Libyans detained at suspected military camp
-
Blinken set for talks with Chinese counterpart in Laos
-
Norris heads Piastri in McLaren one-two at Belgian GP practice
-
G20 seeks common ground on taxing super-rich
-
European medicines watchdog rejects new Alzheimer's drug
-
Harris gets vital Obama backing in battle against Trump
-
Habib, Ebden eye Alcaraz and Djokovic shocks at Olympics tennis
-
Stocks rise as inflation data boosts rate cut hopes
-
Long queues, ticketing problems ahead of Paris opening ceremony
-
Two Sinaloa Cartel leaders face US charges after stunning capture
-
Spain train driver jailed for 2.5 years over deadly 2013 crash
-
Paris poised for Olympic opening ceremony spectacular
-
Judoka fails doping test in first case at Paris Olympics
-
Holder and Da Silva keep England at bay after West Indies collapse
-
Alpine F1 boss Bruno Famin to leave in August
-
Ethiopia declares three days of mourning after landslide tragedy
![England's Stokes 'excited' to see Brook debut against South Africa](https://www.berlinertageblatt.de/media/shared/articles/05/3d/ff/England-s-Stokes--excited--to-see-B-618561.jpg)
England's Stokes 'excited' to see Brook debut against South Africa
England captain Ben Stokes said he was excited by the prospect of Harry Brook's Test debut after confirming the Yorkshire batsman would replace the injured Jonny Bairstow in the series finale against South Africa.
Brook is the only change to the England XI that levelled the three-match series with a commanding victory in the second Test at Old Trafford after Bairstow was ruled out with a freak leg injury suffered playing golf.
Bairstow has been in stellar form this year, scoring 1,061 runs, including six centuries, in 10 Tests.
"Harry is someone who has been spoken about a lot as representing England going forward," Stokes said at the Oval on Wednesday, on the eve of the deciding Test.
"It's amazing how sometimes people's opportunities get presented to them.... He deserved his opportunity to be in the squad initially and he deserves his opportunity this week."
The skipper said he felt "devastated" for Bairstow, who will also miss the T20 World Cup in Australia, which starts next month.
"He's been a massive reason as to why we've had such a successful summer," he said. "It was a freak accident."
But all-rounder Stokes added: "The way in which our middle order has been playing this summer, I feel as if Harry coming in, the way he goes about his game with the bat in his hand is pretty much a like-for-like replacement.
"He's always going to look to take the bowling on, take the positive option. It's obviously devastating to not have Jonny but I'm very excited we get a replacement with the skill Jonny possesses."
- 'Big league' -
Brook, 23, has played four Twenty20 internationals for England and last month made 140 for the second-string England Lions in a tour match against South Africa at Canterbury.
The Lions won that match by an innings and 56 runs, but South Africa did not field frontline fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi.
"He (Brook) is a good player, no doubt," said South Africa captain Dean Elgar.
"He got a few runs against us but, again, this is Test cricket and we've got our fast bowlers now who didn't bowl against him in Kent, so I'm not reading too much into that.
"Hopefully he doesn't do what he did against us in Canterbury... but I just know the environment and this is the big league now."
South Africa won the first Test at Lord's by an innings and 12 runs, only for England to bounce back to win by an innings and 85 runs in Manchester.
"We put the Lord's defeat behind us and we concentrated on Manchester so I know that Dean and the South Africa team will be doing the same thing here," said Stokes.
"I think it's great for the series that it goes down to the wire. I know that South Africa are going to come out firing but it's how we respond to the questions that they ask us."
J.Horn--BTB