Jonny Bairstow has hit back at Sunil Gavaskar for saying he is “uninterested” in Test cricket and said that the former India great can give him a call if he wants to know about his interests in the longest format.
Speaking after smashing a 112-ball 124 in England’s win in the 2nd ODI on Friday, Bairstow said: “Yeah, he’s more than welcome to give me a ring and ask me about my will to do well in Test cricket and my enjoyment in Test cricket.”
Bairstow was reacting to comments Gavaskar had made after the England batsman had been dismissed off Ravichandran Ashwin in the second innings of the final Test in Ahmedabad. Gavaskar had remarked that Bairstow looked “uninterested” during his stay at the crease.
“You have not scored a run, and just come in and pushed at it, as if there was no fielder at backward short leg. It looked to me as if it was the shot of a person uninterested,” Gavaskar had said.
“What’s he trying to do? First ball, he should be looking to play a soft defensive shot. There is a fielder there at backward short leg. Uninterested,” he had added.
Bairstow responded when being asked about Gavaskar’s comments that he had not heard what had been said but that there has been no communication between the two of them on the matter.
“First of all, I hadn’t heard what he said. Secondly, I’m interested in knowing how an opinion can be made especially when there has been no correspondence or communication between him (Gavaskar) and me… As I said, my phone is on and if he just wants to give me a call or a message, he can feel free to do,” he said.
(With PTI inputs)