Bairstow has made a stand out comeback to the Test Setup, he notched up a Scintillating Century on Day 1. During that period England had lost 4 wickets for 48 runs and were in a precarious position. He then along with Stokes formed a crucial partnership, the partnership was a short one but they made sure that Caribbean Bowlers aren’t creating more havoc. Bairstow made sure that he plays responsibly and played according to the situation.
Bairstow went berserk after getting his eye in. He literally smashed bowlers for consecutive fours and dominated the game. He outclassed every bowler’s attempt to dismiss him. At the end of Day 1 Play, he had cracked up a Century.
The peculiarity of his century was that he played with straight bat. He played with a lot of positive attitude which was seen after a long time. He was as usual dominant in his style of batting and created a fear factor in opponent’s mind. Bairstow was seen relieved after scoring a Hard-fought Century.
Bairstow was under scanner for his performance. He had scored a Century in Ashes 2021-22 but that wasn’t enough for England to avoid an ignominy. The entire batting line up failed which resulted in the axing of Jos Buttler. Bairstow knows that he can be as lethal as Buttler and would hope that his second chance doesn’t get wasted.
Bairstow was often seen in and out of the team due to poor form. The former Director Ashley Giles, once said that Bairstow needs to have a reset. His form was so bad that selectors said openly about his omission. He was one of the senior statesmen who had immense experience and a proud record, but a sudden flip of form proved to be life changing for him.
His weakness was against spin bowling. In India Tour 2021 Bairstow got exposed to India’s foxy spinners. He wasn’t just able to move his feet in the right direction. His nemesis got exposed so much that the bowlers were comfortable in trying out new ways for getting him out.
In England vs India Test Series 2021 in England, once again he was seen having a torrid time. This time the pacers found the chink in the armour. His career was on a thin edge as smashing daddy hundreds are a must, especially from one of the best batters. ECB and Root backed him on a silent note as we will never know when a batsman founds back his groove.
The tour of Ashes started. Cricket Australia fulfilled England Cricket Board’s every demand and made Ashes 2021-22 happen. The backing paid off as Bairstow scored a magnificent century. He was seen toying with Aussie Quicks as everyone asked a simple question that why did ECB, Root and Silverwood didn’t play him before.
Earlier Bairstow was playing against his natural game. His natural way of playing is to attack and that too from the word go. It would be a huge relief as ECB finally got their old Champion Cricketer back.
His off side weakness was exposed as he wasn’t able to get off the mark. He used to get out in the initial stages which didn’t give him a chance to settle. Bairstow didn’t had the look in face when facing the bowler which was the main reason for his unforgettable outings.
The dashing batter is now back and looks set to inflict a lot of damage. His way of attacking the bowlers was unquestionable. He now has reinvented himself and we can say transformed his batting style. Bairstow would be happy that he took England out of trouble and made a strong statement that he isn’t finished yet.
The major test of character for Bairstow would be to continue the momentum forward in the 2nd Test Match at Barbados. The pitch is expected to be a topsy-turvy one where both pacers and spinners would be in the game. The performances of past can haunt him as he wasn’t a good batter when the bowlers were in full form. There are chances that West Indies opt for 2 spinners which can be threatening as well as fantastic as we all know that his destructive Bairstow can be against spinners as he showcased it against Permaul by whacking him all around the park; All in all, Bairstow has a stern test which may be difficult yet a dazzling one as Bairstow doesn’t easily throws the towel down.
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