Bairstow, the ‘wonderful servant’ of England cricket who always bounces back strongly

Bairstow, the ‘wonderful servant’ of England cricket who always bounces back strongly

When England plays Bangladesh in Dharamsala on Tuesday, Jonny Bairstow will earn his 100th ODI cap for England. He described it as a feat that will make him “immensely proud” and a turning point in a path that hasn’t always been straightforward: “There’s been a few ups and downs, hasn’t there?”

 

In this style, it has been a career of two halves. During his first six years playing ODI cricket, Bairstow had a rough time, missing three years of the team after his initial seven appearances before forcing his way back in and serving primarily as batting cover for the starting lineup.

However, since being elevated to the opening position in 2017, first when Jason Roy faltered in the Champions Trophy and then when Alex Hales was suspended for his part in the infamous street brawl in Bristol, Bairstow has emerged as one of the finest in the world. His 107.34 strike rate as an ODI opener is unequaled in the history of the format.

Given that, it might surprise some that Bairstow has not already accomplished this goal. He made his debut in the format back in 2011 when he smashed 41 not out off 21 balls to save a run chase against India in Cardiff that had been hampered by weather. Of the current England team, only six players have more appearances in the format than him: Alastair Cook, then-England’s one-day captain, stated, “I think we’ve just found a player.”

The day before, Bairstow and Jos Buttler, a second unproven 21-year-old batsman, were both called up to the team. Jonny has accomplished a great deal, Jos Buttler thought on Monday. He has played a significant role in the one-day team for a very long time.

“It’s amazing how durable he has proven to be by playing 100 caps. He has always been regarded as one of the top openers in 50-over cricket worldwide. He has been a wonderful servant for us, and he still has a lot of work to do. His record demonstrates what a wonderful player he is, so we are thrilled to have him on the club.

 

In 2015, as Eoin Morgan and the team’s management sought to hone the group of players who would represent them in the 2019 World Cup, Bairstow was widely seen as having been unfortunate not to be included in England’s inaugural squad of their new era in white-ball cricket.

When he had the chance to play, he scored runs and demonstrated why he should be one of the team’s first names, even though there was a time when he wasn’t on it.

 

The day before the last ODI, though, he was brought into the team, and in his debut innings, he smashed 83 not out off of 60 balls, establishing his case for more frequent inclusion. Morgan faced a challenge since he was determined to bring the consistency of selection that England had frequently lacked and make room for his regulars to prosper.

 

This week, Morgan is in Dharamsala serving as a pundit for the competition. “Jonny, for a long time, was the example as to how you want a strong cricketing team to play – certainly in my early days as captain,” he stated on Monday.

It should be difficult to get into, and it makes selection much more difficult, so you want people knocking on the door and asking the players in that starting XI questions constantly. Jonny performed wonderfully while doing so for approximately one and a half years.

 

“As he’s always done, whenever he’s been challenged, he comes back very strong,” Buttler continued. When he had the chance when he was absent from the club, he scored runs and pounded on the door to ensure his inclusion as one of the first names on the roster.

 

In terms of 50-over cricket, Bairstow and Roy’s partnership is without a doubt the best ever for England and is among the best ever in terms of statistics. Although they played during a time when flat pitches and two new balls favored attacking opening hitters, their legacy was cemented four years ago when they assisted England in winning their first World Cup in the tournament’s history.

 

He and Jason Roy at the top of the list have just been fantastic. Despite being very imposing cricketers, they complimented each other wonderfully well, scoring in various areas, Morgan added. “To play in the manner that he has for 100 games, completely selflessly, and just get better and better is unbelievable.”

There has been a change leading up to the World Cup, with Dawid Malan being promoted to open the batting and Roy being left off of England’s final team due to fitness and form. Only the third time they opened together, England suffered a crushing defeat to New Zealand in Ahmedabad, and Bairstow acknowledged there has been a minor change in strategy.

“Naturally, that change does have an impact,” he stated. I’ve been playing with Dawid for a while. When compared to Jason, he plays differently. That’s not to suggest it’s a terrible thing at all, but it will take some time to adjust and become accustomed to various tempos and styles.

Since his comeback to ODI cricket after the conclusion of England’s home summer, Bairstow has scored just 52 runs in his previous four innings. However, there were indications that he was regaining his form against New Zealand, not the least of which was when he flicked the second ball of the competition over square leg for six, off Trent Boult.

 

England will be hoping that Bairstow’s historic event on Tuesday coincides with everything falling into place for him in Dharamsala. They cannot afford to lose this game given their humiliation on the opening night.

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