Former England opening batter Sir Geoffrey Boycott analyzed Jonny Bairstow‘s performance in the series against India, criticizing his shot selection in the fourth Test in Ranchi. Boycott suggested that Bairstow, 34, is hindering himself and highlighted his incorrect shot choices in both innings of the match.
Jonny Bairstow entered the series against India with high expectations but has failed to meet them. The Yorkshire keeper-batsman has scored only 170 runs in eight innings, with a highest score of 38, averaging just over 21. In the third Test in Rajkot, he recorded two single-digit scores during England’s record 434-run defeat.
Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, and Ben Stokes have been pretty poor at times- Sir Geoffrey Boycott
In his column for The Telegraph, Sir Geoffrey Boycott highlighted how Jonny Bairstow’s habit of sweeping within the line of the stumps led to his dismissal in the first innings of the fourth Test in Ranchi.
“The engine room of Root, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes has been pretty poor at times. Bairstow keeps doing daft things; he is his own worst enemy. In the first innings he played some beautiful strokes but then swept a ball in line with the stumps which is crazy with DRS,”
Geoffrey Boycott further asserted in his column that batters should avoid going with hard hands at the ball, especially when it spins and keeps low, a mistake he observed Jonny Bairstow making in the second innings.
“In the second innings, first ball after tea, he pushed at it hard. You never do that when the ball is spinning and keeping low. On a pitch where you cannot trust the bounce, never push hard at the ball with hard hands. What was going through his mind is anyone’s guess,”
England’s batting collapses have been a recurring issue against India, notably in matches like Rajkot and Ranchi. Despite putting themselves in strong positions, their batting failures have cost them dearly.
That is what I mean about arrogance- Sir Geoffrey Boycott on Joe Root’s comments
After Joe Root expressed his intention to continue playing the reverse ramp following his patient century in Ranchi, Sir Geoffrey Boycott criticized this approach, stating that there is no need to display such arrogance.
“I don’t feel angry, just sad because at times they produce so much thrilling stuff. They just need to temper it. Look at Joe Root. When he played like the old Joe, he didn’t look like getting out and scored a wonderful hundred. But then when he was asked, he said he would play the reverse ramp shot again. That is what I mean about arrogance,”
The fifth and final Test between India and England is scheduled to begin on March 7 in Dharamsala.
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