"It reminds me a bit of KL Rahul" - Brad Hogg on Jonny Bairstow's versatility ahead of his 100th Test in Dharamsala against India
Former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg has heaped praise on England batter Jonny Bairstow on just how versatile he has been for his team over the years. Bairstow is set to play his 100th Test against India in Dharamsala, starting on Thursday, March 7.
Bairstow has been under the pump in the Test series so far due to his string of low scores. However, Hogg believes the right-hander is an asset to any team because of the multiple skills he brings to the table and also compared him to India's KL Rahul.
In a video on his YouTube channel, here's what Brad Hogg had to say about Jonny Bairstow (9:38):
"I love his (Bairstow's) endurance. It reminds me a bit of Rahul (KL). He has been asked to bat in middle order, to keep wickets, to open the innings and just that versatility really shows that he puts the team first. He is one player that I would really love in any team I have is because of his durability."
Another player playing his 100th Test in Dharamsala is India's Ravichandran Ashwin. Hogg lauded Ashwin for the way he has adapted to the demands of the game and urged the youngsters to look at the veteran off-spinner as an idol while aspiring to be a professional cricketer.
Brad Hogg believes India will win in Dharamsala
Brad Hogg feels India will end the Test series as 4-1 victors and expects a comfortable win for the hosts in Dharamsala. He shed light on how India winning the Ranchi Test despite being behind in the game after the first innings shows their confidence (7:30):
"I don't think England are going to win this final Test match. I think India are going to run away with the game and extend their lead at the top of the (WTC) table. It was not easy for India to come from behind and win in the previous Test match. England did it in Hyderabad and that's good for the game that teams are winning by coming from behind."
It will be interesting to see whether India make any changes to their team looking at the Dharamsala weather and conditions. England, on the other hand, have made just one change to their XI, with Mark Wood returning in place of Ollie Robinson.