Cook advises dropping Bairstow for fourth test in India, McCullum says no
Former England captain Alastair Cook recently shared his advice to the England team. Cook wants England to drop Jonny Bairstow for the upcoming fourth Test in Ranchi in the ongoing Test series. He feels that it would be better to protect the batsman who is having a nightmarish form in the tour so far.
In the six innings played across three Tests, Bairstow has only scored 102 runs averaging just 26. On a batting-friendly wicket in Rajkot, the English batter failed to get going registering scores of 0 and 4 in two innings. His form along with Joe Root’s has been a major form of concern for the visitors who are trailing 2-1 after winning the series opener in Hyderabad.
Bairstow scripted an unwanted record with his first-innings score of a naught. He now has the most number of ducks against India in Test cricket-8 ducks. In a discussion with TNT Sports, Cook stated that it would be better to drop Bairstow for the fourth Test.
“He’s had a challenging tour until now. Continuing in India is tough. I’m removing Jonny from the firing line to protect the player,” he said. Cook then voiced his opinion to give Dan Lawrence a go in the remainder of the series. “Bring in someone who is new and free from all the challenges faced in this series,” he added.
Brendon McCullum backs Jonny Bairstow and expressed to provide him support
England head coach Brendon McCullum has expressed support for Jonny Bairstow, who has struggled in the ongoing Test series against India. He stated that he has faith in the batter and does not plan to drop him for the fourth Test.
“I haven’t seen the pitch yet. But I expect Jonny to be in the playing XI, yes,” McCullum said to the reporters after the third Test.
Despite Bairstow’s low scores, McCullum highlighted his past achievements and emphasized the importance of providing him with continued confidence and support.
“I can see clearly, and he’s performed exceptionally well for us with a significant career impact. From our perspective, we need to support him, ignore external distractions, and keep him focused on his goals, and I believe Jonny will succeed. I’ll spend some time with him, reminding him of what a fantastic player he is,” he added.
This stance contrasts with suggestions from former England captain Alastair Cook, who recommended dropping Bairstow due to his poor performance.
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