England vs New Zealand, 2nd Test: Jonny Bairstow reveals how IPL 2022 helped
England wicket-keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow, who was behind England’s five-wicket win in the Trent Bridge Test, has expressed that his IPL 2022 stint with Punjab Kings helped him prepare for Test cricket. The right-handed batsman scored 136 runs in 92 balls in T20 style to give the team an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
Jonny Bairstow pic.twitter.com/G6micJUq7q – cricket pictures that go hard (@hardcricpics) June 14, 2022
Chasing 299 on the final day of the Nottingham Test, England scored seven maximums and 14 fours, scoring at a strike rate of almost 148.
This season, Bairstow, a member of England’s 2019 World Cup winning team, was bought by Punjab Kings for Rs 6.75 crore and scored 253 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 145.
The Yorkshireman said that the IPL provided him with better preparation for Test cricket.
“Many people were saying that I shouldn’t be in the IPL and play county cricket,” Bairstow was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. For the fastest Test ton by an Englishman.
“But you’re playing against the best players in the world in the IPL and it’s important to have those gears and be able to move them up and down,” Bairstow said.
“People say it would be great if you have four matches of red-ball cricket before a Test series, but unfortunately that doesn’t happen with the current scheduling and we are very fortunate to be able to play some of the best in the world. competitions around the world.”
