BAIRSTOW BATTLING FOR OPENING ROLE

JONNY BAIRSTOW is determined to retain his place in England’s one-day team when Ben Stokes makes his return. With all-rounder Stokes set to re-balance the side for five one-day matches against New Zealand in February, the remaining four matches against Australia will include an intriguing sub-plot: which one of the current top three will make way to accommodate him. It is inconceivable the axe will fall on Jason Roy after his record 180 in Melbourne, leaving Alex Hales to fight it out with converted opener Bairstow. Since returning to the side to replace an out-of-form Roy in the Champions Trophy semi-final defeat by Pakistan in Cardiff, Bairstow has averaged 48, courtesy of unbeaten scores of 100 and 141 versus West Indies. ‘I have worked my a**e off to fight for a place and every time I have come in, whether that be a one-off game when I have got man of the match, or batting at four, six, keeping wicket or opening the batting, I have done well enough to keep my spot,’ he said. ‘I have been asked to open the batting in seven games and I have scored two hundreds in those games. ‘It takes a bit of time to completely understand it but I have been really pleased with how I have started in the role.’ Bairstow made just 14 and received a huge bruise on his hip after being struck by Pat Cummins’s first ball at the MCG last weekend. There will be no repeat tomorrow at Australia’s Gabba fortress, however, after Cummins was sent home for a few days’ rest. With fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood potentially sidelined by a virus, Jhye Richardson could take the new ball with Mitchell Starc if necessary. The start of Australia’s innings is compulsive viewing at a ground where they’ve proved almost as unbeatable in one-day cricket as Tests, losing just two of 13 completed ODIs in a dozen years. Mark Wood’s ferocious bouncer first up to David Warner at the MCG was followed by a dismissal four balls later. ‘The wicket helped. A bit of unevenness, a bit of grass coverage, it got to us a bit quicker than you expect,’ explained Warner. Wood, who did not play in the Test series, will be eager for a repeat tomorrow.