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England cricket team batsman Jonny Bairstow©AFP
With the fifth and final Test of the hotly contested series between India and England scheduled to begin on March 7, wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow has said that playing his 100th long-format match means “a lot” to England’s fifth game against India . in Dharamshala will mark Bairstow’s 100th Test appearance after head coach Brendon McCullum confirmed his place in the playing XI. The 34-year-old has had a disappointing performance in the series as he amassed just 170 runs in four Test matches. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Bairstow spoke about the pitch at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium and said that it is a used ground from the Ranji Trophy match.
He also praised the ground staff for doing an “incredible job.”
“Playing 100 Tests means a lot. It’s a used pitch from the Ranji Trophy last month… let’s see. The ground staff have done an incredible job with the pitch considering the weather we’ve had here. They’ve done a great job. work on the gardens here in Dharamshala. It looks good. The countryside is one of the most picturesque places in the world,” he said.
England have lost three matches in a row in the series after claiming victory in the first Test.
The visitors had their chances, especially in Rajkot and Ranchi, but India reacted strongly on both occasions to win.
India and England still have World Test Championship points to earn in Dharamsala, even though the series is decided. India are on top of the World Test Championship standings with a points percentage of 64.58, while England are eighth in the points table.
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