Jonny bid to salvage shot at Aussies from ashes of India tour
JONNY BAIRSTOW is knocking it out of the park in one-day cricket for England – and he wants another chance to nail down the No 3 Test spot before the Ashes next winter.
Teeing off merrily, Bairstow and Jason Roy’s 12th century opening stand should have laid the foundation for England to go 1-0 up in the one-day series with India on Tuesday before they collapsed from 135-0 to 251 all out.
But after scores of 0, 0, 28 and 0 in the Test series, Bairstow will need the rub of the green to save his place over the long course.
Bairstow did not deserve to be singled out for scorn after England’s heavy defeats in Ahmedabad where, as he said, “there wasn’t anyone in those last two games who exactly lit it up”.
He wants a happier ending Down Under than England’s 4-0 defeat in 2017-18, where he was subjected to sledging – still the Aussies’ No1 national sport – of questionable taste.
“Obviously people would have spoken about the last two Tests here but prior to that in Sri Lanka [139 runs in four innings] I’ve been pretty happy with my scores at No3,” said Bairstow.
“Hopefully I do get more than four games there because I’d gone home in between and, despite those lower scores in the last couple of Tests, average-wise I was OK.
“Let’s be honest: I’ve had a pink-ball Test match at a new venue where nobody scored any runs, and then the last game there was an umpire’s call that didn’t necessarily go my way in the first innings.
“I’m happy with where my game’s at and the way I’m striking the ball, so I do hope that is the case and that I get another opportunity at No3.
“With the experiences I’ve had over in Australia I think it gives you a better chance of having success over there.”
While his Test place is in doubt, there are no such worries at the top of the pile in the limited-overs side. He has clubbed three centuries, plus 94, 84 and 82 in the past 13 one-dayers.
Of his double act with Roy, Bairstow said: “The chemistry is easy. We speak about simple things out in the middle. It’s a flexible approach based on how the game’s going.”
❑ SAM BILLINGS, who sprained a collarbone joint in Tuesday’s 66-run defeat, is understood to be out of the second ODI in Pune tomorrow.