As Jonny Bairstow got back behind the stumps for England in the fourth Test against India on Thursday (September 2), former England captain Nasser Hussain said he must deliver with the bat to prove why he is “still one of the best red-ball batsmen” in the country.
Bairstow replaced Jos Buttler as the wicket-keeper for England for the ongoing fourth Test against Team India being played at The Oval from Thursday after the regular gloveman is missing the match to be with his wife who is expecting their second child this week.
Hussain further said he “understands” why Bairstow always wanted the gloves since it doesn’t put pressure on him about his place and his batting stats are better when he’s keeping wicket, averages 37 with five hundreds, than when he isn’t keeping, he has an average of 27 with one hundred.
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He further said the “gloves can be a sort of insurance”, but Bairstow needs to deliver with a big inning in the ongoing Test series to prove his worth as a batsman, saying he looks more secure after tinkering with his technique despite not getting more run under his belt against India.
Bairstow has been struggling with form as of late, and even was not part of the New Zealand series at home after a poor India tour earlier this year and now in the home series, he failed to cross the 30-run mark against India, scored only once more than 50 so far.
Hussain wrote in his column for the Daily Mail: “He looks more secure having tinkered with his technique. He's going back and across to off-stump and is trying to hit the ball back where it came from, rather than aiming across the line.
He's in a much better place. But he still needs to deliver with a big inning. In this series, his scores have been 29, 30, 57, 2, and 29. Not bad, but 'e's got himself in several times without going on to three figures. He knows he can do better.”
On getting back the gloves at The Oval, he explained: “That's why he needs to forget he's got the gloves again and focus on backing up what many pundits in this country believe - he's a serious batsman, one of England's best, and is capable of big hundreds.
It shouldn't bother him much that he's likely to be going in at No 6, where he averages 37 - more than any other position except No 7 - and has scored two of his six Test hundreds. He's pretty well got what he wants.”
He added, “It has become a bit of a Bairstow cliche, but probably with good reason: he’s never better than when he has a point to prove. So I’d be saying to him, ‘Well done, Jonny, you’re back where you want to be. Now go out and show why you’re still one of the best red-ball batsmen in the country.”
Hussain signed off by saying, “I can understand why he’s always wanted the gloves, and why down the years he’s told anyone who will listen that his batting stats are better when he’s keeping wicket (an average of 37, with five hundreds) than when he isn’t (an average of 27, with one).”
(With IANS Inputs)
