The Ashes: Jonny Bairstow slams his 24th Test fifty
England wicket-keeper batter Jonny Bairstow hammered a fine fifty against Australia in the first Ashes Test in Birmingham. Bairstow clocked his 24th Test fifty and his fourth against the Aussies. His knock of 78 from as many balls was laced with 12 boundaries. He was aggressive right from the start and was always looking to score runs. Here's more.
An aggressive hand from Bairstow
Bairstow came to the middle when England lost their skipper Ben Stokes at 176/5. He played his shots without any fear and dominated the bowlers for most parts of his brilliant knock. He added 121 runs with Joe Root, taking the total close to the 300-run mark. His aggressiveness was also his reason for downfall as he was dismissed by Nathan Lyon.
A look at his overall Test numbers
Before this match, Bairstow needed 18 runs to complete 5,500 Test runs. He has now raced to 5,560 runs in 91 Tests at an average of 37.31. Besides 24 fifties, he has also scored 12 Test centuries. He became the 21st English batter to complete the feat. Against Australia, he has amassed 1,162 runs in 22 Tests at 30.57 (100s: 2, 50s: 4).
Bairstow becomes the 21st English batter to complete 5,500 runs
As mentioned, Bairstow completed his 5,500 Test runs for England and became the 21st batter to achieve this feat. However, among active English batters, he is the third-highest run-scorer in this format. He is only behind, Root and Stokes in runs tally. Former England captain Alastair Cook leads the overall tally for the Three Lions.
Bairstow's stellar numbers at Edgbaston
Bairstow enjoys playing at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground as he amassed 546 runs in eight Test matches at 49.63. He has smashed three fifties and two centuries at this venue. While scoring these runs, he has also maintained a strike rate of 71.93.
Bairstow's first fifty since returning from injury
The 33-year-old suffered from a freak leg injury at the golf course in September last year. The incident left him with three different fractures on his left leg along with a dislocated ankle and ligament damage. He returned to competitive cricket for Yorkshire's second XI and was called up for England's one-off Test against Ireland. This was his first Test fifty since his return.
