Joe Root’s epic maiden Test ton in Australia rightly dominated the headlines on the opening day in Brisbane, but a worrying trend with England’s second-best batter in Harry Brook remains a growing concern.

The hard-hitting superstar departed the crease for 31 on Thursay evening, edging to the slips for a second straight innings via a rash, slashing cover drive, this time off the bowling of Mitchell Starc.

His dismissal more or less came from nowhere, with he and Root having put on 54 for the fourth wicket against an Australian fast bowling attack which — with the exception of Starc — had been largely unthreatening.

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It was an incredibly disappointing way for the 26-year-old to finish his knock, after compiling a well-made start that included four boundaries.

As alluded to, it was a carbon copy of his second-innings dismissal in Perth, where he exited for a three-ball duck at a critical time in the match, at the front-end of an epic collapse that saw nine wickets fall for just 99 runs.

“It’s really difficult, because the thing you don’t want to cut off, is his natural instinct and his natural ability … it’s a really tricky one,” Isa Guha told foxsports.com.au’s Nic Savage at the Gabba.

“It’s a frustration I’m sure, to everyone, because they know how good he can be. But, at the same time, you give him the leeway because of the way he can dominate in certain situations.

“England understand that by him being free-minded, they can still get some really good stuff out of him for the rest of the season.”

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Fox Cricket commentator and former England captain Michael Vaughan added at stumps: “There were a few ‘iffy’ shots. England have probably got to look at their approach to Mitchell Starc in some ways, they don’t need to go attacking him.”

For Brook, it was the fourth time in just over five Tests that he has been dismissed by Starc. And while the repercussions on Thursday night ultimately weren’t as catastrophic for his country as they were in Perth, it did expose skipper Ben Stokes to the left-arm star, who has had his number throughout his entire Test career.

Brook is as talented as any at international level right now, yet his brain fades date beyond the last fortnight, with multiple dismissals in England’s five-Test series against India earlier this year raising eyebrows among several England greats, including two former international captains.

“The edge that he brings to England’s middle order is that he’s a destructive, game-changing player … but equally, I think you do sit him down and say: ‘Talk us through that situation. What were you thinking? How did you see the game at that point?’” 115-Test player Michael Atherton told Sky Sports after stumps.

Nasser Hussain added: “He was actually getting a bit frustrated with Harry Brook. I thought Harry was ‘away with the fairies’ a bit today. Joe (Root) a couple of times hit it when there were easy runs … and Joe was like: ‘Why aren’t we running here?’ And next ball, he (Brook) nicked it!”

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Another of those Test greats is former teammate Stuart Broad, who was left dumbfounded on-air in the minutes after Brook’s moment of madness at the Gabba.

“Harry Brook has played 31 Tests now; he’s not someone who’s starting out his Test career,” Broad began on Seven.

“I just look at his last three Test matches: India at The Oval. He made a brilliant hundred (111), the game was all but won. He chipped one to mid-off, and England ended up losing that Test match by six runs.

“To me, we’re now getting to the situation of: ‘Is he recognising the game scenario?’ That’s such a crucial thing about Test-match cricket. Is Harry Brook aware of what’s happening at that time in the Test match?

“(After today’s dismissal) there needs to be a couple of question marks over that. You probably need to have a discussion as a teammate, less as a coach, and say: ‘We’re not just batting or having a net. This is Ashes cricket. This is really serious stuff.

“You’re too good a player to gift Australia your wicket. It just feels like some of the dismissals are freebies.”

At the close of play on Day 1, England finished 9/325, with Joe Root and Jofra Archer unbeaten on 135 and 32 respectively.