AWE TO PLAY FOR
Jonny and Ben left us stunned says Jos
JONNY BAIRSTOW and Ben Stokes unleashed cricket’s equivalent of shock and awe on India on Friday – and left the England dressing room speechless.
England chased down a huge Indian total with more than six overs remaining, with Indian skipper Virat Kohli describing the hitting of Bairstow and Stokes as the most amazing he had ever seen.
Stand-in skipper Jos Buttler was equally spellbound as the pair put on 175 in just under 20 overs, including one five-over period that disappeared for 89 runs.
Stokes, meanwhile, went from 50 to 99 in just 11 balls.
That win sets up a series decider in Pune today, with Buttler once again leading a side on the sniff for a famous triumph after defeats in both the Test and T20 series.
So his message is simple – more of the same would do very nicely.
“It was an amazing show,” said Buttler. “We were sat there in awe of what they’re doing, enjoying what they’re doing but at the same time expecting them to do it.
“It was a lot of fun. I speak for all of us sat there, we were just blown away.
“People talk about match-ups at certain times. Jonny is a fantastic player of spin and aggressive against spin, Ben the same.
“One of the great things watching on as a side is the two guys taking ownership of how they wanted to play and seeing it as that time was the time to accelerate and win the game in that period.
“The two guys did that brilliantly.” No-one can argue with that.
And having put on 110 with Jason Roy before Stokes’ entrance, Bairstow’s role was doubly impressive.
His century was his 11th in ODI cricket – a tally only bettered by Joe Root, Eoin Morgan and Marcus Trescothick.
Destructive
Bairstow has made it clear that he fancies getting to the top of that list sooner rather than later.
And Buttler believes the way he goes about scoring runs makes him one of the most destructive players in world cricket.
With his opening partnership with Roy, perhaps the most exciting in the international game.
“We are all aware of how well he’s playing and how brilliant he has been for us,” Buttler added.
“He’s our leading player really and it has been brilliant to watch, the consistency he shows to play in the fashion he does.
“He’s very intimidating to bowl at. “Those two [Bairstow and Roy] have been fantastic, the way they play, the pressure they put on an opposition.
“People talk about numbers but, for us, it’s more about the fashion they play.”