Jonny Bairstow admitted becoming the latest member of England’s 100 Test club means a “hell of a lot” after being joined by close family and friends this week to mark the occasion in Dharamsala.
Bairstow is set to become the 17th Englishman to reach the prestigious milestone when the fifth Test against India starts on Thursday and could not wish for a more picture-perfect setting than the HPCA Stadium, which features stunning views of the Himalayan snow-capped mountains in the background.
Several of his nearest and dearest, including mother, sister, partner and infant son, have flown out to celebrate alongside Bairstow, who recognises the magnitude of the occasion.
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Unlike England captain Ben Stokes, who remarked in Rajkot earlier in the series of his own 100th Test being “just a number”, Bairstow intends to embrace every moment in what he anticipates will be an emotional week.
“It means a hell of a lot,” said Bairstow, well-known for wearing his heart on his sleeve. “Every young kid that sets out on a journey playing professional cricket wants to try and play 100 Test matches.
“You look back to 2012 when I made my debut at Lord’s, if 12 years later you’d said I’d be playing 100 Test matches, you’d snap your hand off for one but also pinching yourself as well.
“It’s great to have my family out here, it’s an amazing place to come, they’ve come to some pretty cool places along the way as well. It’s a special occasion for everyone who has been there on the journey.
“It will be an emotional week. I’m proud, you know what I’m like, I’m an emotional guy – so get the tissues ready! It’s a special week for me like it was a special week for Ben a few weeks ago.”
Bairstow, who coincidentally registered his 100th ODI appearance at the same venue, made his Test debut in May 2012 and has gone on to enjoy several giddy highs in the whites as well as a few crushing lows.
He amassed the most runs by a wicketkeeper in a calendar year in 2016 and lit the touchpaper for the Stokes-Brendon McCullum era with four jaw-dropping centuries in five innings in a stunning 2022.
But he had to rebound from a badly broken leg at the back end of that year while his place has seemed under relentless scrutiny. Having yet to pass 40 in four Tests in this series, there has been speculation he might be overlooked in the summer with Harry Brook to come back into the England side.
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As for whether he can cash in on his landmark appearance in England’s final assignment on the tour of India, who took an unassailable 3-1 lead last time out in Ranchi, Bairstow was sanguine.
“It would be nice,” said Bairstow. “Like in every game, you put your best foot forward.
“No matter what it is, I’ll be going out there, chewing my gum, puffing my chest out and trying to have a good time with the other 10 blokes out there.
“Whatever the situation is, we’ll be going out there with smiles on our faces, like we have done in the whole series.”
A chillier climate has greeted England in the foothills of the Himalayas and a couple of players were in their thermals in training on Tuesday morning, with conditions akin to the early English summer.
There has been speculation at England altering the balance of their bowling line-up, with the most recent match on this wicket in India’s domestic first-class competition four weeks ago showing all 36 wickets fell to seam.
“I’ve probably batted the worst I have all trip,” said Bairstow of his net session. “But the whole trip I’ve been happy with how I’ve been moving, I’ve been in the zone the whole way.”
England’s last visit here was blighted by concerns about the outfield ahead of a World Cup group game against Bangladesh last October, but Bairstow is satisfied there will be no issues this time.
“The transition that has been made to produce something like that has been amazing,” Bairstow added. “It’s absolutely stunning here.”
England 'realistic' about chances in Pakistan, says McCullum
Brendon McCullum says England are going into their three-match Test series against Pakistan with "realistic" expectations, and anticipates a tough test from their hosts.
England became the first side to achieve a 3-0 clean sweep in Pakistan during their last tour in 2022.
And Pakistan have had no success on home soil in the last two years, with a 1-0 defeat by Australia in early 2022 setting off a 10-match winless run, with Bangladesh the latest to triumph against them.
England are without captain Ben Stokes though, as he was ruled out of the first Test after failing to recover from a hamstring tear in time.
Despite recent history suggesting England may just have an edge, McCullum is taking nothing for granted.
"We go in with high hopes," McCullum told BBC Sport. "There will be no excuses whatsoever if we don't get where we need to get.
"We're also realistic this is going to be a tough series, because Pakistan in their own conditions, as history would suggest, it's a tough ask."
McCullum also brushed off concerns he was worried about not having James Anderson, who has been acting as their fast-bowling consultant since his retirement, with them for the first day.
"Jimmy has been a great resource for us, but prior to that, we didn't have a pace-bowling coach as such," he added.
"In the world we live in, communication is easy. Jimmy is in constant communication with the guys. I don't think it's a big issue."
For Pakistan, Shan Masood has lost all five Tests since being appointed captain last November, including the 2-0 defeat to Bangladesh in August.
"There is a lot of hurt within the players," Masood said. "This year, 2024, has not been a good year for Pakistan cricket all over, and we like to see our fans happy.
"The answer is to be positive. We let the past go. We have tried to maintain consistency in selection. We haven't had any chopping and changing because we have lost a few games.
"We believe in this set of players and with Jason Gillespie we wanted to create a squad mentality. The players are being backed to turn things around."
The first Test between England and Pakistan begins on Monday in Multan.
Super Arshdeep sets up routine India win over Bangladesh
Arshdeep Singh's fine performance with the ball paved the way for India's convincing seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh on Sunday.
Fast bowler Arshdeep recorded eye-catching figures of 3-14 in Gwalior before India made light work of chasing their 127-run target in the three-match T20I series opener.
Both Bangladesh openers fell to Arshdeep without reaching double figures as Parvez Hossain Emon was removed for eight and Litton Das on four to leave the hosts struggling at 14-2.
Last batter Mustafizur Rahman proved to be Arshdeep's last victim to wrap up the underwhelming Bangladesh innings, while spinner Varun Chakravarthy also impressed with 3-31 from his four-over allocation.
Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav all got starts before falling in India's response, though Nitish Kumar Reddy and Hardik Pandya had little trouble in lifting their side from 80-3 to victory.
Hardik did most of the damage in that game-clinching partnership, blasting an impressive 16-ball 39 that included five fours and two sixes to see India over the line with 49 deliveries to spare.
Data Debrief: Arshdeep leads the way
Arshdeep continues to set the tone for India against batters at the top order, with numerous batters struggling to cope with his dominant left-arm action.
Sunday marked the 11th time he has taken three or more wickets in this format, the most by any India bowler in T20I history.
West Indies Women bounce back with dominant six-wicket win over Scotland in ICC Women's T20 World Cup
The West Indies Women delivered a clinical performance to claim an emphatic six-wicket victory over Scotland in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on Sunday, bouncing back from their humiliating 10-wicket loss to South Africa in the opening match. The West Indies, led by Afy Fletcher’s impressive bowling, restricted Scotland to a modest total of 99-8 from their 20 overs, setting the stage for a confident chase.
Fletcher was the standout bowler, taking 3-22 as she helped stifle Scotland’s batting efforts. Hayley Matthews, Karishma Ramharack, and Chinelle Henry also chipped in with a wicket apiece, putting Scotland under immense pressure. Ailsa Lister (26) and captain Kathryn Bryce (25) provided some resistance, contributing to a crucial third-wicket stand of 46 after Scotland had stumbled to 13-2 in the third over. However, once Fletcher broke their partnership, the rest of the Scottish lineup crumbled, with only Lorna Jack-Brown (11) and Darcey Carter (14 not out) offering any additional resistance.
Scotland’s total of 99-8 seemed unlikely to trouble the West Indies, but they suffered an early setback in their chase. Star batters Hayley Matthews (8) and Stafanie Taylor (4) were both dismissed cheaply, raising concerns of a potential collapse. However, Qiana Joseph quickly turned the tide with a blistering knock of 31 from 18 balls, while Deandra Dottin’s unbeaten 28 from 15 balls and Chinelle Henry’s quickfire 18 from 10 ensured a comfortable victory for the Caribbean side. The West Indies reached their target in just 11.4 overs, with 50 balls to spare.
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews expressed satisfaction with her team’s turnaround performance. "100 percent, we were able to go out as a group and restrict them to 99. Qiana Joseph was positive and Dottin finished it off. We did pretty well with the ball, limited the boundary balls, and got ourselves in a secure position. We also had to think about the net run rate, and we executed that well," said Matthews. "Next, we have Bangladesh, and if we win that and then against England, we’ll be in the semifinals."
Player of the Match Chinelle Henry also shared her thoughts on the team’s effort. "I first thank my teammates and coach. Our goal was to give the team a good start and improve our net run rate. We figured the wicket was slow, and batting was difficult, but we had a clear plan, we backed our skills, and we executed."
With this victory, the West Indies Women have reignited their World Cup campaign and will look to carry the momentum forward in their upcoming matches against Bangladesh and England.
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