Joe Root expects Jonny Bairstow to have a belter of a Test match at his home ground in Headingley. With the latter’s dismissal sparking a highly polarised debate, Bairstow would want to shut the outside voice via a hard-hitting knock in the third Ashes 2023 Test. Playing an Ashes Test at this stadium after four years, England would want to take inspiration from a heroic victory in 2019 especially ahead of a must-win contest.
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Having lost the first two Tests in spite of playing well, England losing a third Ashes match in a row will quash all chances of them regaining the urn. Taking into consideration the form and potential of this team, it would be pretty shambolic for England to be on the losing end of a series with a couple of matches to be played.
Joe Root Expects Jonny Bairstow To Entertain Fans At Headingley
As far as the English wicket-keeper batter is concerned, the former captain told reporters on the eve of the Leeds Test that he generally benefits from such a situation. Known for his nature of not giving up without a fight, Root hinted at how all the limelight around Bairstow has it in it to motivate him to go a tad bit extra in wanting to dominate the Aussies.
“Jonny [Bairstow] thrives off things like this. I’m sure he will want to entertain the local crowd. I think it is set up nicely for him, but you have still got to go and do it.”
While Root didn’t make any sort of revelation by talking about how Bairstow wasn’t very happy with the way Australia wicket-keeper Alex Carey stumped him at Lord’s, he didn’t forget to pass a chuckling comment around batters making dedicated attempts to remain inside the crease in the next match.
“I don’t think he [Jonny Bairstow] took it great. He was a bit hard done by. I don’t think anyone will be leaving their crease [this week]”
Jonny Bairstow Test Record At Headingley
Been playing for Yorkshire since the start of his career, 33-year old Bairstow will be playing a Test at this venue after a year. A stellar Test record here has seen him score 573 runs across 11 innings at an average and strike rate of 63.66 and 80.81 respectively.
Bairstow, who has a couple of Test centuries and half-centuries each at Headingley to his name, had scored a career-best with respect to this stadium in his last match. In what was the 10th of his 12 Test centuries, Bairstow had scored a thumping 162 (157) in the third Test against New Zealand last year.
Batting at No. 5 in the second innings as well, Bairstow raced his way to 71* (44), second-fastest Test half-century for an English batter, to power his team to chase down a 296-run target in 54.2 overs. Having scored 233 (201) across the two innings of his last Leeds Test, a similar performance will undoubtedly result in Bairstow standing tall on Root’s expectations.
Apart from Bairstow, it is noteworthy that Root and England batter Harry Brook will also be playing as local Headingley lads from Thursday.
