England’s recent test series against Sri Lanka saw the emergence of Jonny Bairstow as an extremely reliable batsman in the middle order. After England were found wanting by the Sri Lankan seamers in a couple of tests, Bairstow led from the front with his efforts to rescue his side and help England post decent totals.
It came as no surprise when the right-hander was named the Man of the series for his spectacular performance. In his recent column for Sportsmail, Bairstow opened up about his fine batting displays.
Beginning perfectly:
It was important to me to start the summer well to back up what happened in South Africa and to begin it like I did for Yorkshire helped me hit the ground running in the Test series against Sri Lanka. And I am absolutely thrilled to be able to reflect now on a 2-0 victory and the man of the series award. I will treasure that and never forget it.
Now I just have to keep grafting because I know how quickly things can change. The key is to make the absolute most of the good form and good fortune and savor the moment because these are special times. Hard work is the only way to sustain this.
You only have to look at Alastair Cook and how much he has put in to achieve everything he has to realize that. He shows you what you have to do to be consistently successful at the highest level.
Excelling at Lord’s:
What can you say about Lord’s? It really is a special cricket ground. I guess it’s the history and the heritage of the place that makes it unique. You just have to walk through the pavilion and down onto the ground while the members are clapping to get goose pimples and there is such an amazing feel to Lord’s. It’s the only place I know, for a start, where you can get a champagne cork on the back of your neck when you’re fielding on the boundary!
It’s not a raucous atmosphere but there’s this buzz and hubbub. People sit there enjoying their food and drink while watching the cricket and enjoying a cracking day out and that feel-good factor spreads to the players. And being on the Lord’s honours board is just massive. I missed out on that in 2012 but when I came in this time the lads had already written my name on a piece of tape and added it to the board and it will be properly inscribed this week up there with the great and the good.
Happy to prove critics wrong:
When I went into bat in the third Test we had lost a few wickets again and people have said that I’ve launched counter-attacks but I don’t really look at it that way. If you think of the team being in any kind of trouble it can add to the pressure so the big thing for me is not to think about that and just play naturally.
If that means being positive and taking the game to the opposition then so much the better. I think this hundred was completely different to Headingley and that was totally different to Cape Town. It’s difficult for me to compare them apart from to say they are all very, very special. It would clutter my brain too much if I thought about how things have changed for me and my game.
I’m just pleased with how I’m adapting to different conditions and making my game work for me and the team. Sometimes it won’t quite click for me but for now, I hope I’m proving a few people wrong who perhaps didn’t think I could do this.