"He could miss out on his 101st" - Michael Vaughan unsure of Jonny Bairstow's Test future after IND vs ENG series
Ex-England cricketer Michael Vaughan has opened up on Jonny Bairstow ahead of the latter's 100th Test which he will play against India in Dharamsala next week. While Vaughan acknowledged it as a sensational landmark, he has expressed uncertainty about Bairstow's future in Tests after the India tour.
The Yorkshire cricketer will become the 17th Englishman to complete a century of Tests when he takes the field in Dharamsala. However, the 34-year-old has been far from his best in the four Tests against India so far, managing only 170 runs in eight innings at 21.25 with a best of 38.
In his column for The Telegraph, Vaughan mentioned that it will be a special occasion indeed, but reminded that Jonny Bairstow's performance has been far from expectations.
"Jonny Bairstow plays his 100th Test in Dharamsala and I am delighted about that. It’s a great triumph of resilience and, even in terms of sentiment, I believe that if you get to 99 caps you deserve the moment of your 100th. However, you can’t escape that he could miss out on his 101st. He hasn’t played well enough across the 10 Tests he’s been back in the side, especially in India," Vaughan wrote.
The 48-year-old observed that Ben Foakes is an outlier in this English side despite his magnificent keeping skills for lacking the power game. He wrote:
"I also look at the ‘keeper, Ben Foakes. He has kept magnificently in India, but I get the sense that he’s not in the inner circle with this setup and that his batting still doesn’t suit them.
"The last Test was a good example: he is great in partnership with a batsman, but struggles kicking on with the tail. Once again, his batting might not be enough however good his keeping is."
Foakes has so far played 24 Tests, managing 1107 runs with two hundreds and four half-centuries. However, the Surrey cricketer only has a strike rate of 47.06 even as most England batters in the line-up have maintained it above 65.
"They have each played one stunning knock, but struggled otherwise" - Michael Vaughan on Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope
Vaughan also pointed out the weakness in Ben Stokes' approach against spin, claiming the left-hander need to smother it more.
"I look at guys like Ollie Pope and Duckett and think they have had interesting tours. They have each played one stunning knock, but struggled otherwise. Equally, I am staggered at how, for a tall man, Stokes plays from the crease against the spin. Sometimes his forward defence sees his front foot only just past the popping crease. I’d love to see him smother spin," the former England captain wrote.
The fifth and final Test between India and England starts on March 7.