Decoding Jonny Bairstow's ODI run since his international return
England opener Jonny Bairstow smashed a 31-ball 30 against Sri Lanka in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup encounter in Bengaluru. For the third consecutive ODI, Bairstow couldn't maximize his start. He managed 10 (versus South Africa) and 2 (versus Afghanistan) in England's previous two matches. Bairstow, who is known for his explosive knocks is yet to go big in the ongoing tournament.
Why does this story matter?
Bairstow suffered an ankle dislocation while playing golf in Leeds last year. The senior batter had slipped on the golf course, which caused harm to his lower leg. The freak injury ruled him out for the next few series and tournaments, including the ICC T20 World Cup and the Indian Premier League. Bairstow finally returned to England's setup ahead of the Ashes.
Bairstow averages 18.25 since his return (ODIs)
As mentioned, Bairstow returned to international cricket in the Ireland Test series earlier this year, which preceded the Ashes. The England batter has smashed 643 runs from 17 internationals at an average of 33.84 ever since. The tally includes only six fifties. Only 146 of these runs have come in ODIs (eight matches). Bairstow averages only 18.25 in the format in this period.
His only 50+ score
Bairstow's only ODI half-century since his international return came in World Cup 2023. He smashed 52 off 59 balls (8 fours) against Bangladesh in Dharamsala, which was his 100th ODI. Bairstow became the 27th cricketer to feature in 100 ODIs for England. His ODI scores since his return: 6, 0, 13, 33, 52, 2, 10, and 30.
A look at his ODI journey
Bairstow, who is also a wicketkeeper, made his ODI debut way back in 2011. He started as a middle-order batter and struggled with consistency. His best was unleashed after becoming an opener in 2017. The dasher has been scoring runs for fun since then. He was even instrumental in England's 2019 World Cup triumph (532 runs at 48.36, two centuries).
Bairstow's ODI numbers
Bairstow has now raced to 3,780 ODI runs at 43.95. He has slammed 11 hundreds and 16 fifties. Moreover, his strike rate reads 103.39. Jos Buttler (40.64 and 117.93), AB de Villiers (53.50 and 101.09), and David Miller (42.70 and 104.00) are the only other batters with a 40-plus average and a 100-plus strike rate, having played at least 100 ODIs.
