English
Jonny Bairstow’s struggles during the Test series vs India last month seem to be a world away now from how he has been performing in ODIs. In two innings so far of the ongoing three-match ODI series, the England opener has belted 218 runs including a match-winning century on Friday night that helped his team draw level at one-all.
Bairstow’s manner of dismissal drew criticism from batting legend Sunil Gavaskar who said the Englishman looks ‘uninterested’ in playing red-ball cricket after getting out during the 2nd innings of the fourth Test in Ahmedabad. In four innings, he had managed 28 runs including three ducks.
Commenting on the 31-year-old’s performance, Gavaskar had then said, “You have not scored a run, and just come in and pushed at it, as if there was no fielder at backward short leg. It looked to me as if it was the shot of a person uninterested. What’s he trying to do? First ball, he should be looking to play a soft defensive shot. There is a fielder there at backward short leg. Uninterested.”
Bairstow has now responded to the criticism saying Gavaskar is free to contact him regarding his interest to do well in Test cricket. “First of all, I hadn’t heard what he said. Secondly, I’m interested in knowing how an opinion can be made especially when there has been no correspondence or communication between him (Gavaskar) and me,” he said on Friday.
He continued, “Yeah, he’s more than welcome to give me a ring and ask me about my will to do well in Test cricket and my enjoyment in Test cricket. As I said, my phone is on and if he just wants to give me a call or a message, he can feel free to do so.”
Meanwhile, England produced a sensational batting performance during the 2nd ODI as they sailed to the target of 337 runs in 43.3 overs. Bairstow struck 124 off 112 including 11 fours and seven sixes.
Overall, England hit 20 sixes during their chase, continuing their philosophy of playing attacking cricket which Bairstow has shed some light on. “If you are making the bowler think all the time where they need to be delivering the ball, then it’s a good place to be,” Bairstow said. “If you look at the way the game is going around the world, whether that be in T20 cricket or 50-over cricket, the team that hits the most boundaries generally wins the game.”
“If you are hitting boundaries that are going for six rather than four then the numbers are going to stack up slightly more. We hit 20 sixes today and that’s an extraordinary number in one game. If we can keep hitting boundaries, keep putting bowlers under pressure that if they do miss their lengths then they potentially go for six,” he added.
Bairstow admitted it’s a tactic that they won’t pull off successfully all the time. “Look, the execution won’t happen every single time and people will get out doing it. But everybody in the dressing room is backing that person out in the middle that if they want to hit the ball for six, they believe in everyone’s ability to hit that ball for six,” he said.
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