England are set to keep faith with Jonny Bairstow for the fourth Test in Ranchi that begins on Friday, with Brendon McCullum, their head coach, planning to spend the short turnaround reminding the Yorkshireman of his talents. Reeling from a 434-run defeat in Rajkot – India registered their all-time record Test win by way of runs to take a 2-1 lead in the series – the tourists face the toughest challenge of their aggressive methods and loyalty in selection for a must-win fixture.
Bairstow, who lasted seven balls in his two innings in the third Test and registered a record eighth duck in India, is among the primary concerns; so, too, Joe Root who is having a similarly low-key tour. In the case of the former, the catalyst for England’s upturn in fortunes under McCullum and Ben Stokes in 2022, additional support is on the cards.
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“I haven’t even seen the wicket [in Ranchi] but I’d anticipate Jonny would be playing,” said McCullum, when asked about Bairstow’s short-term future. “He’s not scored the volume of runs he would have wanted and a couple of times he’s got out kind of mildly for someone who’s got the power game Jonny’s got. [But] I don’t have concerns over him.”
The 34-year-old Bairstow sits two short of 100 caps in Test cricket and 96 runs away from 6,000 in a career built on resilience. McCullum’s method is to coach the person, not the cricketer, stating that Bairstow is a “little bit different … in a good way” and stressing that if everyone was the same “it would be pretty bloody boring”.
McCullum said: “We know that a top-quality Jonny Bairstow is as good as anyone in any conditions. So from our point of view we’ve got to keep on giving him confidence and block out a lot of the external noise; keep him really present and focused on what he’s trying to achieve and I’m sure Jonny will come good.
“We’re a long way from home and India can be a tough place to tour – anywhere can be. [I will] spend a bit of time with Jonny and remind him that he’s such a wonderful player. And not because you’re trying to get a performance but because he’s a good bloke and you want to make sure he’s enjoying himself. Whatever happens results-wise happens.”
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Before selecting their attack, England will see how Jimmy Anderson and Mark Wood pull up after sending down 38 and 37.5 overs respectively. In the case of Anderson, this included a bit of a battering during Yashasvi Jaiswal’s second double century of the series. Ollie Robinson, fresh and having shown adaptability on the flat surfaces of Pakistan last winter, will enter thoughts.
There is also the question of whether Stokes will accelerate his own return to bowling after knee surgery in November. He was previously targeting the summer, but has begun bowling in training at full pelt. It would increase his options, certainly, but, in keeping with the team’s outlook overall, it is not without risk also.
McCullum said: “Ben is really clever. He won’t bowl unless he thinks he’s legitimately able to. The problem would be if he starts getting into a spell and then he can’t get out of the spell. So we’ll see what unfolds. If he does get that bit between his teeth then let’s see where the danger lies there, [I will] try and pull him away from it. But it’s a good sign.”
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