England vs India: Jonny Bairstow on whether Joe Root would attempt reverse scoops – They won’t be tried any time soon
India Today
ENG vs IND, 5th Test, England won the final Test of the series by seven wickets after Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow scored centuries in the fourth innings.
England batter Jonny Bairstow said that one needs to have a solid technique to survive against quality bowling attacks in seaming conditions. On Tuesday, July 5, Bairstow became the Player of the Match after England won the rescheduled fifth Test against India at Edgbaston in Birmingham.
Bairstow, who is currently the leading Test run-scorer in 2022 with nearly 1000 runs, scored 106 and 114* runs. The right-hander, in the meantime, reckoned that Joe Root wouldn’t try and play shots like reverse-scoops that Rishabh Pant played in the first innings of the Test match.
“Look, there are different ways you can look up to it, but you still have to call the basics while you have high-quality bowlers coming at you. There are always going to be pressure situations when you have to fall back on the basics because if you don’t have that, then you won’t be able to survive those situations when the ball is swinging conventionally or reverse-swinging,” Bairstow said after the match.
“You got to have the basics of good conventional technique. With the addition of being able to free up and try things which T20 cricket made it possible,” he stated.
“We’ve obviously seen Joe Root, the best English batter. To play reverse-scoops, I mean that could have been a fantastic addition to your game. Some of those shots are audacious and won’t be tried any time soon,” Bairstow added.
Root became England’s Player of the Series after he scored 737 runs and picked up two wickets. He stayed unbeaten on 142 as the Three Lions registered their highest run-chase in their history of Test cricket. They chased down 378 after Root and Bairstow put on an unbeaten partnership of 269 runs for the fourth wicket.
England also stayed unbeaten in Test cricket against India at Edgbaston. Out of eight Tests, the Brits have won seven Tests with one game back in 1986 ending in a draw.
