Wednesday, March 27

‘Sometimes people overreach’: Bairstow responds to fan abuse | Ashes 2021-22


Jonny Bairstow said it would have been nice if the fans who were kicked out for abusing him at tea had still been there when he walked off the field enjoying the glare of his toughest testing century to date.

The 32-year-old fired up the third day in Sydney with an undefeated 103 which, along with a bristling 66 from Ben Stokes, led England to 258-for-seven, avoided follow-up and raised tourists’ hopes by preventing a shutout series. at 3-0 down.

In addition to clenching his teeth after a nasty blow to the thumb from Pat Cummins, Bairstow also blocked comments from a rowdy supporter at the members booth who yelled, “Take off your Bairstow sweater, lose some weight Bairstow, you’re fat . “

Bairstow responded with a “friend, that’s right, just turn around and go,” before his abuser and two other people were expelled. In the end, the best response came through his work in the middle, breaking eight fours and three sixes to deliver the first century of the woeful tour of England and his seventh in test cricket.

“I’m over the moon to be honest,” Bairstow said. “That was the hardest so far, I think, under the circumstances. We put the graft in that association [of 128 runs] with Ben Stokes he was one of the greats. It was difficult and I am really delighted with it. “

When asked about his previous verbal exchange with the fan, Bairstow replied, “It was a bit of a bad mouthing. There’s no need. We are trying to do our job, people are enjoying cricket. Unfortunately, sometimes people overdo it.

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“I think it’s important to stand up for ourselves because if we don’t stand up for ourselves, you can bear it. When people exceed the mark, you need to tell them. It would have been nice if they had been there giving it when we left at the end. Unfortunately, they weren’t and they missed the end of a fantastic test cricket day. “

Bairstow’s thumb problem stems from Jos Buttler injuring his left index finger on the field on the second day. With Stokes suffering from lateral strain, Sam Billings has been drafted from the Big Bash League to bolster the team and could be set for a test debut if neither Buttler nor Bairstow are in a position to hold the wicket in the day and night final in Hobart.

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Billings, who was scheduled to play in the T20 series in the Caribbean that begins this month, has now begun a period of isolation in the team’s hotel. And on the third day, Ollie Pope was undergoing wicket maintenance drills on the nets in anticipation of being required to act as a substitute glover in Australia’s second inning.

When asked about his own injury, one of several similar blows to England hitters when Sydney’s pitch played a trick, Bairstow replied: “It takes a lot to get me out of the park. Yes, it was painful, but the circumstances of the game, it was one of those where I made the decision to stay there.

“Doctors can give you advice, but you are playing in an Ashes test match, a New Years Day pink test match in Sydney in front of a huge crowd. It will take a lot to get you away from that. “

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