Decoding the incredible Test stats of Jonny Bairstow in 2022
Middle-order batter Jonny Bairstow was the chief architect of England's seven-wicket win against India in the rescheduled fifth Test at Edgbaston. His unbeaten 114 helped the hosts register a record-breaking run-chase (378) on the final day. Bairstow was also involved in an unbeaten 269-run stand with Joe Root (142*). Like Root, the former has been in sublime form this year. Here are his stats.
Bairstow averaged over 50 in the ENG-IND Test series
Bairstow finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the England-India Test series after Root. The right-handed batter hammered 404 runs from five Tests at a remarkable average of 50.50. He scored these runs off just 661 balls. Notably, Bairstow has amassed 589 runs in his last five Test innings (136 vs NZ, 71* vs NZ, 162 vs NZ, 114* vs IND, and 106 vs IND).
Bairstow struck at 120.12 against New Zealand
Bairstow aggregated 394 runs across three Tests at a strike rate of 120.12. As per ESPNcricinfo, it is the highest for any batter to have faced over 300 balls in a series. Notably, Bairstow scored just 25 runs in his first three innings. He then slammed the second-fastest Test fifty (Leeds), second-fastest Test century (Nottingham), and second-fastest Test 150 (Leeds) for England.
His incredible Test numbers in 2022
Bairstow now has the most number of Test runs in 2022. He has racked up 994 runs from eight matches at an astonishing average of 76.46. The right-handed batter has struck at a phenomenal 76.22. His tally includes a total of six centuries and one fifty. Interestingly, Bairstow had slammed as many centuries in his first 79 Tests.
Joint-most Test tons by an England batter (calendar year)
As per the ICC, Bairstow has become the fourth England batter to have registered six Test centuries in a calendar year after Root (2021), Michael Vaughan (2002), and Denis Compton (1947). Moreover, Bairstow is the first-ever batter to slam six Test tons in a calendar year while batting at number five or lower. He broke the record of former Australian captain Michael Clarke (5).
A special record for Bairstow
At Edgbaston, Bairstow became the first England batter to slam twin-centuries in a Test since Andrew Strauss (against India in Chennai in 2008). As per ESPNcricinfo, Bairstow is the second England batter with two hundreds in a Test while batting at number five or lower. He matched the record Compton, who scored 147 and 103* against Australia in 1947 in Adelaide.
Other records scripted by Bairstow
In the third Test against New Zealand, Bairstow completed 5,000 Test runs. He became the 24th batter from England to breach this mark in the format. In the Edgbaston Test, Bairstow became the 11th England batter to reach 10,000 runs in international cricket. Bairstow now has 5,415, 3,498, and 1,190 runs in Test, ODI, and T20I cricket, respectively.
