McCullum backs Bairstow: ‘I’m sure Jonny will come good’

Jonny Bairstow has been backed to return to form by England manager Brendon McCullum. Bairstow made 0 and 4 in the 434-run bombardment at Rajkot, continuing an awkward fourth tour of India in which he averaged 17.00 in six innings.

Ben Stokes predicted big things for Bairstow at the start of the series. With Ben Foakes taking the gloves, the England captain believed an exclusively batting role could unlock a Bairstow purple patch akin to the summer of 2022 when he became the original Bazball poster boy. “We've seen what we've been able to get out of him, and I don't want him to worry about anything other than hitting five-pointers, getting points and what have you. in front of him here and now,” Stokes said. It didn't go as planned.

With England leading 2-1 in the series, selection decisions will need to be considered ahead of the fourth Test in Ranchi, which begins on Friday, but McCullum gave a strong indication that Bairstow will retain his place in the XI for what would be his 99th Test. cap.

“You know, I can't answer that, I didn't even see the wicket,” McCullum said when asked about Bairstow's position. “But I expected Jonny to play, yes.”

Dan Lawrence is the team's only spare hitter, having replaced Harry Brook who withdrew from the tour due to family matters and is unlikely to return. Lawrence, however, has yet to feature under McCullum and Stokes.

England want to give Bairstow every chance of achieving the explosiveness of two summers ago. He hit four centuries in Stokes' first six matches, including two centuries in the one-off Test against India at Edgbaston. His 681 runs were scored at a rate of 96.59 and an average of 75.66.

He has struggled to match those figures on his return from a broken ankle that kept him out of the final Test against South Africa and the 2022-23 winter tours to Pakistan and New Zealand. Since the start of the 2023 summer, his 424 runs have stood at 30.28, with just three fifties but an unbeaten 99 against Australia at Old Trafford.

His duck in the first innings at Rajkot was his eighth against India. But it's worth noting that his dismissal the second time – lbw missed a Ravindra Jadeja sweep – was the first time he played an attacking shot. According to McCullum, that's the problem.

“Yeah, look, he didn't score the volume of points he would have liked and a few times he came off lightly for someone who has Jonny's power play,” he said. he declares.

“I have no concerns about him. I'm not blind but he's done so well for us and he's had such a career. We know a top quality Jonny Bairstow is as good as any that in all conditions. So from our point of view, we have to continue to give him confidence and also block out a lot of the outside noise and keep him really present and focused on what he's trying to accomplish, and I'm I’m sure Jonny will do well.”

In the coming days, McCullum will opt for a more human touch with someone he describes as “a little bit different…but it's in a good way.” Doing the right thing for the person above the player has worked well so far for Stokes and McCullum, and the 2022 Bairstow – who they have encouraged, emboldened and, at times, reassured – is proof of that.

In contrast, McCullum will take a hands-off approach with his other out-of-form senior batter, Joe Root. Another run of low scores has England's second highest Test scorer with 77 runs at an average of 12.83. McCullum couldn't be less worried. “It's Joe Root, crikey. I mean, seriously? The law of averages suggests he'll fill his boots in the next two.”

McCullum also defended Root's ramp shot in the first innings, which triggered a collapse of 8 for 95 on the third day. England relinquished a stand of 224 for 2, ceding a first innings lead of 126 to India, who were without R Ashwin at the time. This was a critical part of the game.

McCullum also took aim at those who say the new approach is not suitable for Root. The start of the series saw his career average fall below 50 and his average under Stokes at 50.12. It is still higher than during his captaincy (46.44), but has now fallen below the 52.80 he managed in the first four years of his career under Alastair Cook.

“I think he averages about 50 with that shot [previously 60, now 30], as well as what happened after he played this move previously. He got away with doing that twice. You can get stung while defending one or trying to drive one by the side of the leg. I don't know if this is as risky a shot in the modern game as it appears in the previous game.

“I would say his stats over the last 18 months or so, as people see a shot like that and say 'oh, Joe Root is struggling to cope with this new regime' – but look at the numbers. He has an average. He hits at a higher rate. His impact on the game is still very, very significant.

“Imagine if that became the norm for Joe as well, with the talent that he has and the history that he has. And then what's the ceiling? So that's one point: do we just want a normal Joe Root, or do we want a Joe Root who is even better. How many matches will we win if that happens?

Two more would be enough for now. Having recovered to face the Ashes following defeat in the second Test at Lord's in similar circumstances to those at Rajkot – a first innings collapse of 9 for 137 after Nathan Lyon was ruled out with injury – England have precedent to come from behind in five games. series. But McCullum has made it clear he is happy with the method and believes focusing on the mistakes made here and last summer would be counterproductive.

And while many will hope that the lessons of this defeat will lead to a more defensive approach, the team will be doubling down for a must-win match in Ranchi.

“It's not a conversation we've ever had because then you start putting peripheral thoughts into guys' minds and the idea is to free them up to make good decisions in the moment, to be fully present, and then be able to adjust their games to be able to do that. To me, that almost limits what you can achieve.

“At the end of the day, if you want to beat India in India, you have to be able to be pretty good against every one of their bowlers, whether they are down or not. I wasn't against the method that they took, who we went there with. It obviously didn't work this time and we'll do it just as nicely, but it might work next time.

“If you have a chance in life, you might as well have fun and stay positive throughout things, there are a lot of people who see the gray sky and not the blue. And for me, that's not necessarily the way you go about it, and it's definitely not how you want to perform as a cricket team when you have so much talent among them.

“Yes, we will mess up sometimes. The guys, in their own way, will deal with that and be able to iron out some of those rough edges. But a general conversation within the group about 'we didn't do this right, we I need to do it next time” – it detracts from what you are trying to achieve and you need conviction in your methods.

“We have to get through this, but we’re looking forward to this opportunity.”