England batter Joe Root believes that Jonny Bairstow is in the mood to obliterate Australians when the two sides meet in the third Ashes 2023 Test at Headingley from July 6 onwards. He also gave the example of how Bairstow performed after being angered by Virat Kohli in the Edgbaston Test last year.
The second Test at Lord’s ended in Australia winning by 43 runs and going 2-0 up in the five-Test series. But the match was not without its controversy as Bairstow was stumped by Alex Carey on day five as England looked to chase 371 runs with Ben Stokes going hammer and tongs at the other end.
England accused Australian players of being against the ‘spirit of the game’ after Bairstow had left the crease immediately ducking under a Cameron Green bouncer.
This is when Carey threw the ball at the stumps and appealed for the wicket of Bairstow. The decision was sent upstairs and the third umpire ruled it out.
Australian players were booed in the field by the crowd and even in the long room of the Lord’s.
“You can bet your bottom dollar he will have the bit between his teeth. I don’t think he took it great. I don’t think anyone would, would they. He does thrive off things like this. You will be able to spot his mood a mile off,” Root said to Daily Mail.
Recalling an incident in the Edgbaston Test against India in 2022, Root said, “Go back to Edgbaston last year. Someone said something to him – I think it was Virat Kohli – and it brought the best out of him. Let’s hope that happens again.”
Notably, Kohli and Bairstow were engaged in heated verbal altercations when the batter was on 13 off 60. After being egged on by Kohli’s words, Bairstow switched gears and hammered a ton in 119 balls, his second century of the match, and took England to a win.
“There is always something like this in these big series and this one would have to involve Jonny. He was not trying to gain an advantage. It wasn’t like he was at the non-striker’s end trying to sneak a run or batting out of his crease to take modes of dismissal out of the game. So yes he felt hard done by. And I don’t think anyone will be leaving their crease here,” Root said.
“So we have to use all the fuel but do it in a controlled manner. That doesn’t mean to show any emotion because that might be how to get someone like Jonny going. Everyone will deal with this in different ways. But we mustn’t get too carried away with it all,” he added.
Australia needs to win the third Test to get their hands on their first away Ashes series win since 2001.
