Jonny Bairstow has been backed to rediscover his form by England coach Brendon McCullum and English skipper Ben Stokes. Jonny Bairstow made 0 and 4 in the 434-run shellacking in Rajkot, continuing an awkward fourth tour of India in which is he averaging 17.00 from six innings.
Ben Stokes predicted big things for Jonny Bairstow at the start of the series. With Ben Foakes taking the gloves, the England captain believed a role exclusively as a batter could unlock a Jonny Bairstow purple patch akin to the summer of 2022 when he became the original Bazball poster boy. “We saw what we managed to get out of him, and I don’t want him to worry about anything other than batting at five, getting runs and what’s in front of him in the here and now,” Stokes said. It has not worked out as planned.
With England trailing 2-1 in the series there will be selection decisions to ponder ahead of the fourth Test in Ranchi, which begins on Friday, but McCullum gave a strong indication Bairstow will retain his place in the XI for what would be his 99th Test cap. Dan Lawrence is the only spare batter in the squad, having replaced Harry Brook who pulled out of the tour for a family matter and is unlikely to return. Lawrence, however, is yet to feature under McCullum and Stokes.
Jonny Bairstow career under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum
England want to give Jonny Bairstow every chance to access the explosiveness of two summers ago. He struck four centuries in Stokes’ first six matches, including twin hundreds in the one-off Test against India at Edgbaston. His 681 runs were scored at a rate of 96.59, and an average of 75.66.
He has struggled to match those numbers upon returning from a broken ankle that kept him out of the final Test against South Africa and the 2022-23 winter tours of Pakistan and New Zealand. Since the start of the 2023 summer, his 424 runs have come at 30.28, with just three fifties albeit one an unbeaten 99 against Australia at Old Trafford.
His first-innings duck at Rajkot was his eighth against India. But it is worth noting his dismissal second time around – lbw missing a sweep off Ravindra Jadeja – was the first time he has been out playing an attacking shot. Bairstow has scored only 102 runs in 3 test matches .
Jonny Bairstow’s poor outings in Asian conditions
As per ESPNCricinfo, Asia is the only continent in which Bairstow averages fewer than 30 in Tests. He has managed just 1,015 runs across 19 games at a dismal average of 29.85.The veteran has crossed the 50-run mark only five times across 36 innings in the continent. The tally includes a ton as well, in Sri Lanka.
Bairstow has managed 126 runs across four Test innings in Bangladesh at 31.50 (50: 1).491 of his runs have come across 20 Test innings in India at 25.84 (50s: 3).He has featured in six innings in UAE, managing just 134 runs at 22.33.The dasher has fared decently in Sri Lanka, managing 264 runs across six innings at 52.80 (100: 1).
Bairstow has not crossed the 50-run mark in Asia since his 110 in the Colombo Test in November 2018.The batter has now gone 14 Test innings without a half-century in the continent. He has scored 269 runs in this period at a dismal average of 20.69.His 47 in the 2021 Galle Test is Bairstow’s only 40-plus score in Asia in this duration.
Having played 98 Tests, the 34-year-old Bairstow has compiled 5,906 runs at an average of 36.45. He has smashed 12 centuries and 26 fifties in this format. Against Australia, he has clocked 1,125 runs in 21 Tests at 31.25.Bairstow has registered two centuries and six fifties against them in Test cricket. He has raced to 2,307 runs in away Test matches at 33.92.
The England management and captain Ben Stokes has supported Jonny Bairstow to come good in the remainder of the series and openly spoken about it.
England skipper Ben Stokes supports sensational Jonny Bairstow to come good in his 99th Test at Ranchi
England skipper Ben Stokes has thrown his weight behind batter Jonny Bairstow, who is struggling for form in the ongoing Test series against India. The all-rounder claimed that he wouldn’t judge batters over a short period but on their long-term contribution to the team’s cause.
Jonny Bairstow is facing intense scrutiny ahead of the fourth Test against India in Ranchi, which begins on Friday, February 23. The wicketkeeper-batter is yet to score a half-century in the series and returned with scores of 0 & 4 in the recently concluded Rajkot Test. Overall, he has managed just 102 runs in six innings so far.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Stokes highlighted that Bairstow has been an integral part of their Test resurgence and thus deserves to be backed. As quoted by The Cricketer, he said:
“If batters have a tough time over a short period, it will come under scrutiny don’t look at it like that. I look at what Jonny has contributed for a long period of time since I’ve been captain. He has money in the bank, he’s a quality player. He’s someone who has been very integral to what we have done.”
Following England’s 434-run defeat in Rajkot, head coach Brendon McCullum also backed Jonny Bairstow to come good in the final two Tests.
Ben Stokes on selection of 2 seamers at Ranchi
Ben Stokes explained right-arm seamer Ollie Robinson’s inclusion in place of Mark Wood for the Ranchi Test. He claimed that the former’s accuracy and release point should help him on a spin-favoring pitch. The England skipper explained:
“You look at the player Mark is, especially with the ball, you want someone like that operating at 100 per cent. You want to be able to keep players like that on the field operating at that level. Bringing Robbo in gives us good options, especially looking at this wicket. I feel like the spin will be assisted but I also feel having two seamers gives us a good chance purely because of Ollie Robinson’s release height and his relentlessness with his areas.”
The visitors have made two changes for the fourth Test, bringing in Robinson and Shoaib Bashir for Mark Wood and Rehan Ahmed.
Ben Stokes, England’s captain, has promised that his team will park the disappointment of their crushing 434-run loss in the third Test in Rajkot, and move onto Ranchi later this week fully focused on bouncing back to claim a 3-2 series victory. England need to win the last two Tests to clinch the series, with India leading the five-match series 2-1. It will be interesting to see with the changes in their playing XI for the fourth Test against India, which will start on February 23 could be the litmus test for Jonny Bairstow to perform in his 99th Test.