Bairstow ready for India challenge

Jonny Bairstow
12 April 2012

Jonny Bairstow was the toast of the England team on Tuesday night, but is already casting his eye forward to imminent and more important fixtures.

Bairstow's unbeaten 104 from only 53 balls propelled the tourists to 367 for four in their second and final warm-up match at the Rajiv Ghandi Stadium, where the Hyderabad CA XI could respond with only 114 all out.

England can therefore press on to the first of five one-day internationals against India, highly-encouraged by a much-improved performance, but Bairstow said: "It's obviously going to be a massive challenge, coming over to India and playing them in their own backyard... they are the world champions for a reason."

He added: "We're pleased with our preparation so far, but without a doubt it will be a completely different challenge - and a very tough one."

England are rightly optimistic, though, having followed a workmanlike victory in their first warm-up match with a mammoth one in their final preparation fixture against the same opponents.

"We hope we'll go in later on this week on a high from the two wins we've had," added Bairstow. "We were very pleased to get the win the other day. But coming into this one, we wanted a clinical performance - and to produce something like that is very pleasing."

As for his own hugely impressive batting, he professes no special secret ingredient - just a mixture of power and timing.

"It's a bit of both," he said. "You've obviously got to have a bit of power, but the technique comes through as well.

"If you lose your shape then you will naturally not connect and time it as well as you'd like to."

Tons of natural ability, much inherited from his late father and former England wicketkeeper-batsman David, is not going amiss either.

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