Bairstow: We’ll be up against the whole of Oz

JONNY BAIRSTOW has warned his England pals they will have to defeat the “whole of Australia” if they are to retain the Ashes.

The wicketkeeper claims the tourists will have every Aussie right in their faces from the moment they walk off the plane to the moment they fly home.

Bairstow, 28, insists he is relishing the chance to take part in the five-Test battle on the other side of the world this winter.

Joe Root’s squad depart on Saturday for the toughest cricketing challenge of them all.

And Bairstow (below) admits it will be a test of temperament and belief when they get to Australia. He said: “The lads cannot wait to get out there because it is an amazing place to go and tour. But we also know how hard the cricket is.

“We will not just be playing against 11 guys in their team but the whole Australian nation.

“They will be in your face whether you are getting in a taxi, going to a restaurant or just heading for a coffee.

“It will be even more so when you are going to the ground to play.

“But it’s about relishing that scenario. It’s an exciting thing we are going to take part in and you have to enjoy every moment of it.

“The Aussie cricket fans are very passionate and hate to see their side lose. They will be very pumped up for our arrival, so we will just have to be ready to show them we are there to do business.

“It’s about earning their respect. To do that you have to play well on the field and compete as hard as you can. If we do that then we will gain the respect of the Aussie nation.”

And the Yorkshireman says England will be competitive despite the absence of all-rounder Ben Stokes due to the police investigation into his ugly city-centre brawl.

He said: “It’s going to be a very competitive series. You can’t say that we are stronger because of this or that, or they are better in this or that area.

“The two sides are so evenly matched and I will be surprised if it wasn’t extremely close right to the very end.

“Australia will come at us hard from the very start but we are prepared for the fight and for the battle. “We want the whole of England to get behind us and give us even more confidence that we can win the series.

“Guys will be nervous going into that first Test in Brisbane on November 23.

“But it’s amazing what you can achieve if you are buzzing with confidence and belief in your ability and in the team’s ability.”

Bairstow also admits he would be happy to open the batting in the Tests if he was asked to do so. He hit a maiden ODI century against West Indies when going in at the top of the order and said: “I would be prepared to bat anywhere for my country.

“I’m sure it won’t come to that because of the guys we have in the squad who do it regularly and very well. But it’s a challenge I enjoyed.”