'Wouldn't surprise me if he silences doubters again' - Nasser Hussain backs 'struggling' Jonny Bairstow to excel in 5th Test
Published - 06 Mar 2024, 04:22 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:27 AM
Former England captain Nasser Hussain opened up about Jonny Bairstow’s batting struggles ahead of the fifth and final Test against India. Nasser Hussain stated that Jonny Bairstow has the potential to silence his doubters once more during his 100th Test match.
Jonny Bairstow is set to become the 17th England cricketer and the fourth in the current side to play 100 Test matches after James Anderson, Joe Root, and Ben Stokes. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter made his Test debut for England against the West Indies in 2012.
The 34-year-old has represented England in 99 Test matches in his career. The right-handed batter has scored 5974 runs at a decent average of 36.43, featuring 12 centuries and 26 half-centuries. He played as a wicketkeeper-batter in more than half of the matches.
Will Be A Great Occasion For Jonny Bairstow – Nasser Hussain
In his column for the Daily Mail, Nasser Hussain highlighted Jonny Bairstow’s resilience amid the ups and downs in his career. Hussain acknowledged Bairstow’s versatility as both a specialist batter and a wicketkeeper-batter.
“This will be a great occasion for Jonny Bairstow. He’s an emotional cricketer anyway, as we’ve seen over the years, and to reach 100 Test matches after all the ups and downs he has been through will make his family incredibly proud. He polarises opinion at times, but he has done pretty much everything England have asked of him, whether it be as a batter or as a wicketkeeper-batter,” Hussain has written in his column.
“There are generally two types of cricketers. Those that say they don’t read things in the media, concern themselves with external noise or take notice of the pundits. But he is one of the others. Someone that reads everything and loves to prove people wrong, and so – if he can control his emotions – it wouldn’t surprise me if he goes out and silences the doubters again,” he added.
Bairstow has faced significant challenges in the ongoing series, scoring only 170 runs across eight innings with an average just above 21 and no half-centuries. His disappointing performance has coincided with England’s struggles, resulting in a series defeat.
The Ben Stokes-led team started the five-match series with a 28-run victory during the series opener in Hyderabad. However, the visitors failed to continue their winning momentum as they suffered three consecutive losses, conceding a 3-1 series lead to India.
Jonny Bairstow Needs Runs Because – Nasser Hussain
Nasser Hussain said that Bairstow’s position in the Test team might be in jeopardy with the rise of young talents. He emphasized the importance of Bairstow scoring runs to secure his spot in the team for the upcoming Test series against the West Indies.
“The next Test series against West Indies is four months away, and a lot can happen in the interim, but if he wants to guarantee being around this summer, he needs runs because if everyone’s fit, England will have one too many batters in the mix for top-six selection,” Hussain concluded.
The fifth and final Test between England and India is scheduled to commence on Thursday, March 7, at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.
