England middle-order batsman Jonny Bairstow, who struck an elegant 57 against India in the second Test at Lord’s, is unfazed by his struggl...
England middle-order batsman Jonny Bairstow, who struck an elegant 57 against India in the second Test at Lord’s, is unfazed by his struggle to keep his place in the team in recent times and said he focussed only on scoring runs when he gets an opportunity.
Bairstow, who made a comeback in the drawn first Test against India, scored his first half-century in almost two years, as he along with captain Joe Root (180 not out) took England to 391 all out, giving them a slender 27-run lead with two days left in the second match.
“You want to be playing, and if you’re playing and scoring runs you will be in the side,” Bairstow, who got his previous half century (52), also at Lord’s in the 2019 Ashes, said after the end of play on day three.
Bairstow’s batting position has constantly been fiddled with, so also his wicket-keeping role. The white-ball specialist has also struggled to find a place in the team in the past.
In the Sri Lanka series earlier this year, Bairstow relished batting at No. 3, but three ducks in four innings in two Tests in Ahmedabad meant he had to wait for his chances again.
“I think it depends on how the balance of...
