Sport

England vs India: Don’t hit the bear, says Ian Bishop as Jonny Bairstow’s counter-century

July 3, 2022
Bharat Times

Ian Bishop commented on Jonny Bairstow’s brilliant counterattack knock, saying teams should not try to provoke him.

Jonny Bairstow (courtesy: Reuters)

highlighted

  • Bairstow was involved in a verbal battle with Kohli on the field
  • Bishop said teams should not try to provoke England batsman
  • This was Bairstow’s fifth century of the year

West Indies cricket legend Ian Bishop has said that no one should hit Jonny Bairstow as he scored a century in a counterattack against India on the third day of the fifth Test.

Bairstow struggled to keep pace with the Indian bowling on the second day of the match as he scored just 12 runs in 47 balls.

Resuming on Sunday, the turning point for the 32-year-old came when he was involved in a battle on the field with Virat Kohli. The former Indian captain fired the right-handed batsman, who counter-attacked, making it difficult for the Indian bowlers to deal with.

Bairstow completed his century in just 119 balls, his fifth century of the year. His innings included 14 fours and two sixes. The 32-year-old’s innings ended on 106 as he was caught by Kohli off Mohammed Shami.

The English batsman’s innings received much appreciation from fans and the cricketing world, with Bishop being the latest to comment on it.

The West Indies cricket legend took to Twitter and said that no one should beat up ‘Bear’ i.e. Bairstow.

“Jonny Bairstow please don’t hit the bear again,” Bishop said.

The knock against India is a continuation of Bairstow’s fine form in the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand. During the second match against the World Test Champions, the 32-year-old played a scintillating innings of 132 off 92 balls to guide England to a thrilling 299-run chase.

In the third Test, Bairstow saved England from a batting collapse as he formed a fine partnership with Craig Overton. The right-handed batsman was eventually dismissed for 162.

In the second innings of the same match, Bairstow made the second fastest half-century in the history of Test cricket. He achieved this feat in just 30 balls.