England’s star batsman, Joe Root, congratulates teammate Jonny Bairstow on reaching his 100th Test, acknowledging Bairstow’s impressive career. Root commends Bairstow’s talent for excelling at the top level and notes his supportive nature towards teammates.
Bairstow is set to be the 17th English cricketer to reach 100 Tests in the fifth and final Test against India in Dharamsala. Eager to bounce back from a challenging series, the 34-year-old has scored 170 runs in four Tests, maintaining an average just above 20.
On the Sky Sports Podcast, Root praised Bairstow for successfully emerging from his father’s legacy, highlighting him as one of the most authentic individuals. The right-handed batsman elaborated:
“Jonny was always the superstar. He had the difficult tag of following in his father’s footsteps but he always lived up to it. He was someone who always excelled and was top of the class as we were coming through at Yorkshire.”
“As He was a very talented sportsman growing up – especially if you ask him! He is also one of those genuinely kind people that wants to do everything for you. It might not always come across like that on the screen but he has a really good heart and is someone that will always have your back and look after you.”
Root commended the diverse set of skills that Bairstow possesses, further stating:
“You know how much it means to him to play for England and it will be an emotional week for him. It will be nice to be there to share that with him. You couldn’t write a better script for Jonny Bairstow.”
“We have had numerous coaches who have wanted to balance the Test side and set up differently. With Jonny, you can play him as a batter, play him as a keeper-batter. He can offer so much and has such a wide range of skillsets that it can be misinterpreted at times what his best strengths are.”
The Yorkshire batsman marked his Test debut in 2012. In the summer of 2022, he registered four centuries, securing two against India and two against New Zealand.
“Made crucial contributions with the bat post a major leg break”- Joe Root
Root added that Bairstow’s return from the leg injury has been fruitful, particularly considering the evolution in his role.
“It also shows the resilience of the player to be able to come back and almost have to remodel yourself into a different role within the team [from wicketkeeper-batter at No 7 to specialist batter in top six] and still have such an impact.”
“He has played some vital innings since that major leg break he had a couple of years ago. It is amazing for him to come back from that as he has done,” he said.
Lastly, the Yorkshire batsman commended his compatriot for demonstrating consistency in various cricket formats.
“You also have to factor in that for a long time he has been a major part of all three teams – Test, ODI and T20 – and the wear and mental fatigue that can have on players.”
“To continually be consistent is a very hard thing to do and throughout his career, he has always been at the top of at least one or two of those formats. That is an incredible feat,” Root added.
Despite England’s loss in the Test series against India, they are eager to restore some pride by winning in Dharamsala.
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