ENG vs AUS: "To Keep On Coming Back From The Tough Position When You Drop A Few Catches…" - Alastair Cook Lauds Jonny Bairstow

Former England captain Alastair Cook backed team management’s decision to persist with Jonny Bairstow despite his poor glove work in the Ashes 2023 series. Alastair Cook attributed Bairstow’s below-par performance behind the stumps to his injury.

Jonny Bairstow, who made his comeback in international cricket, registered low scores and missed chances behind the wickets in the three games. However, he didn’t miss a catch in the fourth Test in Manchester and scored an unbeaten 99 runs in the first innings.

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I Had Jonny Bairstow In My Squad – Alastair Cook

During a media interaction organized by Sony Sports Network, Alastair Cook said that he included Jonny Bairstow in his squad before the start of the Ashes series.

“Well, I had Jonny Bairstow in my squad at the start of the series for the innings he can play. He hasn’t kept as well as he can keep in those first three games, maybe it was a huge ask for where he came with his injury,” Cook said.

Jonny Bairstow struggled with the bat and had an average of 23.50 before the fourth Test. However, he played an impressive knock, just one run short of his well-deserved century.

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We’ve Seen Over All His Career – Alastair Cook

The former England skipper highlighted that Jonny Bairstow bounced back in the fourth game despite being under plenty of pressure.

“But what we know about Jonny Bairstow and we’ve seen over all his career, what a competitive nature he’s got. To keep on coming back from the tough position when you drop a few catches and he has missed some chances but he’s never thrown it in.

“He’s always continued trying to play that way and he got back and got rewarded for it in that last Test match. You can see the 99 shows how destructive he can be.”

The Ben Stokes-led team put up a total of 592 runs in 107.4 overs in their first innings at Old Trafford. However, the match ended in a draw as the final day was washed out due to rain. The final Test of the five-match series will take place at the Oval in London starting on Thursday, July 27.

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