Jonny Bairstow’s wretched run of form has left England’s selectors scratching their heads, but coach Brendon McCullum insists the under-fire batter will retain his place for the fourth Test.
Bairstow has sputtered through the series with just 102 runs, his misery compounded by twin failures in England’s crushing defeat in Rajkot. But McCullum feels the 32-year-old deserves another lifeline to turn things around.
“I back the guys who I think their character is going to come through at some stage,” McCullum said. “Jonny deserves that. With his experience, what he’s done in the past, I think he can really put a lot of pressure back on the opposition.”
Bairstow’s eight Test ducks against India is a record, highlighting his struggles on spin-friendly pitches. But McCullum’s loyalty towards the swashbuckling batter stems from a confidence that form is temporary but class is permanent.
“We know that Jonny has the ability to turn games,” McCullum affirmed. “I expect him to be ready to go in Ranchi.”
The rewrite aims to have a more sympathetic take through McCullum’s support, balanced analysis and hopeful framing while retaining the facts. Please let me know if you would like any changes!
