Bairstow gives England late scare

JONNY BAIRSTOW suffered an unexpected injury scare ahead of the first Test against South Africa at Lord’s today when he was pinned on the foot by a yorker from the teenage son of Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar. Bairstow hobbled out of the nets after facing only one delivery from the 17-year-old Arjun Tendulkar, a left-arm seamer, who has practised with England before because his father owns a property near Lord’s. His left foot was placed briefly in a compression unit to ease the pain, but England’s wicketkeeper and No 5 is in no danger of missing the match. Meanwhile, South Africa’s stand-in captain Dean Elgar has fired the first shot of the Test summer, promising to exploit the ‘insecurities’ in the England team ahead of the series opener. Elgar, who has been handed the reins while Faf du Plessis is on paternity leave, described the first of the four Tests as good to ‘try and make a dent’. He added: ‘I think they’ve got their own insecurities within their team. And with new leadership, everyone’s asking (Joe) Root what his captaincy is going to be like. I see it as a good time for us to make a dent in this series. ‘They have a few new faces in their line-up and also a few injury concerns. But it’s going to be a tough series.’ Elgar, who has warmed up with a stint at Somerset and will open the batting, denied his side carried scars from Stuart Broad’s series-winning spell of six for 17 in Johannesburg two winters ago. ‘That was a freakish spell,’ he said. ‘It’s a great reference point for us to look back and toughen us up a lot more.’ Elgar hopes it will be the turn of a South African bowler — namely Kagiso Rabada — to have a ‘freakish spell’. And he also insists the 22-year-old, who has taken 21 wickets in 17 Tests, is ready to be let loose on England’s batsmen. ‘He’s been a find and he’s taken to international cricket brilliantly,’ Elgar said of Radaba. ‘Those were the characteristics we expected he would show. I’m sure he’ll be up for it.’