Series win would be huge – Jonny

Cricket Jonny Bairstow is ready for a World Cup rehearsal tonight after England’s defeat to New Zealand in the fourth one-day international set up an allor-nothing decider.

Eoin Morgan’s team are seeking a sixth successive ODI series win, and ninth in their last 10 attempts dating back more than two years.

Bairstow rightly identifies the Christchurch clash (10pm start UK time) as an indicator of England’s progression towards their home World Cup campaign in 2019.

Asked if that was the case, he said: “Absolutely – it’s huge.”

“The way the guys reacted to situations over the last two ODI series helps.

“You can look back at the way we closed it out (to clinch the series against Australia) in Sydney and in Wellington, when the guys have been asked to stand up.”

Bairstow (pictured) and Root have been scoring centuries together for 15 years – and delivered again in Dunedin. Before Wednesday, Root had gone 16 ODI innings without a century, dating back to last June, while Bairstow passed 50 just once in his eight most recent attempts.

But the two batsmen, who first met as Yorkshire schoolboys, were back on song with a second-wicket stand of 190 at the University Oval.

“I didn’t get a big one against Australia, but it’s been threatening,” added Bairstow. “It’s the nature of opening the batting. You will nick off, they are allowed to bowl good balls, it swings, the pitch is fresh – so, when you do get in, it’s important to make it count.”

Bairstow is confident the rest of England’s powerhouse batting line-up will soon be back on track too.

“We are a fast learning team,” he said. “You don’t put a string of results together like we have before, and change the way we play so quickly, if you’re not fast learners and fast adaptors.

“The World Cup’s not tomorrow, or in two days – it’s in 16 months. This is part of the journey – it’s about getting it right for then.”