Nasser Hussain, a former England captain, has acknowledged that the fourth Ashes Test in 2023 at Old Trafford in Manchester will be a crucial match for struggling keeper-batter Jonny Bairstow.
Hussain said that the 10-day break between the third and fourth Tests was much-needed for him
Adding that the player appeared a “bit scrambled” in the third Test at Headingley.
Bairstow scored a quick 78 in the first innings of the first Test at Edgbaston to start his Ashes 2023 campaign. His greatest score during his remaining five innings was 20, however.
Additionally, he has had trouble using the gloves, missing several receptions.
Despite his difficulties, he has been kept in the starting lineup for the fourth Ashes 2023 Test.
Which starts on Wednesday, July 19, at Old Trafford in Manchester. Hussain predicted that the Test will be particularly important for Jonny Bairstow in his piece for The Daily Mail.
He stated:
There is no escaping the reality that it is a significant game for Bairstow. It is commendable that England has persisted with him, and he frequently reacts when he wants to make a point.
He said that Bairstow was out of shape at Headingley and that the rest would have benefited the batter. Hussain added detail:
The 10-day rest will have much benefited him, since he appeared quite disorganised at Headingley. He was anxious while batting, which caused his bottom hand to start coming through a bit aggressively. As a result, he left a catch that he would have ordinarily gone for to Harry Brook at short leg. That let me know his confidence wasn’t very high.
The 55-year-old continued, urging Bairstow to be upbeat:
Jonny is at his best with the bat and the gloves when he’s being positive. Every catch must be made with an aggressive mentality, and he must go for it. He reads everything and enjoys disproving others’ assumptions. If he is performing at his best, England will be stronger.
In 93 Test matches throughout the course of his career, 33-year-old Bairstow has amassed 5623 runs at an average of 36.51 and 12 hundreds.
“Stokes has provided a good example that other people would want to imitate” – Nasser Hussain
Ben Stokes, the captain of England, was commended by Hussain for his outstanding ability to read game situations and take the initiative.
He emphasised that despite all the “Bazball” rhetoric.
Stokes batted cautiously when necessary and advised other England batsmen to follow their captain’s lead.
He stated:
He restrained himself for a while before playing his shots at Lord’s and Headingley both instances were flawless demonstrations of reading the situation. This attitude was established by England over the course of a year, and it has typically worked well for them. There is, however, room for prudence, as Stokes has demonstrated.
With 309 runs scored at an average of 51.50, Stokes is the second-highest run scorer in the 2023 Ashes
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