Graham Thorpe backs Rory Burns to fight his way through after successive ducks
England assistant coach Graham Thorpe believes Rory Burns doesn't need to make any drastic changes to his game to succeed in sub-continent conditions. Thorpe backed the left-handed batsman and termed him a 'fighter', advising him to keep a positive and calm head to overcome his current struggles.
The England opener was trapped LBW for a duck on Day 2 of the second Test. Ishant Sharma provided the early breakthrough by dismissing Rory Burns for his second successive duck of the series.
Speaking after the day's play, Graham Thorpe doesn't think there is a major cause for concern regarding Burns' batting style. The former England batsman said:
"Rory missed the Sri Lanka series. He has come here and worked hard. I am sure that Rory would have loved to post more runs on the board. But he is a fighter and he will continue to fight. He should keep a nice clear mind and positive approach and do the simple things right," said Thorpe.
Burns has had a tough time in the series so far, managing scores of 33,0 and 0 in three innings. The left-handed batsman missed an innocuous delivery from Ishant Sharma, with the bowler coming round the wicket. The ball thudded into Burns' pads and he was adjudged LBW. The opener went for a review, but it turned out to be futile as the ball was hitting the stumps.
Rory Burns' Test career at a glance
Rory Burns would have been disappointed to get out on 33 in the first innings of the first Test against India.
Not taking into account the ongoing match, Burns has played 22 Tests, scoring 1266 runs at an average of 31.65. The opener has two centuries and eight half-centuries to his name in the longest format of the game.
Rory Burns' performance at the top of the order will be a concern for the visiting team, with the 30-year-old managing just 53 runs in his last seven innings. It remains to be seen whether England will continue to back him for the remainder of the series.