Filed under: Cricket, England Cricket, ODIs, India Cricket
Jonny Bairstow knows there are a few places up for grabs in the squad to travel to India in October.He said as much after his incredible introduction to international one-day cricket - after his 41 in double quick time gave England victory at Cardiff.
At the time the young Yorkshire tyro will have been referring to the gap left by Eoin Morgan's shoulder injury, which will keep the Middlesex man out of the tour party.
There is also the question mark over whether England will go back to Kevin Pietersen, after resting their talisman batsman for the NatWest series.
That question will be even more pertinent now that Bairstow has proved himself to the manor born and fearless with his elevation to 50-over international set-up.
His three sixes in Cardiff, one of which ended up in the River Taff, showed he has all the muscle and power to clear the ropes, just like Pietersen, but has 12-years on his side in competition with the Surrey man.
What happens with Pietersen will be revealed in the near future, but one other person who may have to start looking over his shoulder is Ian Bell.
Bell has enjoyed a stellar summer in Test matches and has cemented himself as one of England's most important top order batsmen at that level.
But the manner of his dismissal at Cardiff in the final ODI game of the summer was a familiar failing which may be one error too many for England team director Andy Flower.
Flower is not a man known for his patience and tolerance and holing out in the deep to a chip shot off a spin bowler for the third time is not something likely to register in his favour with the Flower camp.
Once is unfortunate, but any more than that and Flower would see it as a failure of technique and if England want to continue climbing towards the top of the ICC one-day rankings, they cannot afford to keep making so many errors.
Coping with pressure is something batsmen with Bell's reputation should be able to deal with on a daily basis, but he failed miserably when it mattered and was up-staged by Bairstow's free-hitting and complete lack of nerves, in what was a crucial situation.
It will be hard to imagine that Flower has not summoned Bell into his office in the wake of the latest error and informed him of the implications.
He may have one more chance. He may have already blown it, but the simple fact is, England are desperate to integrate new young talent into the side and will be ruthless enough to leave out more established ones to achieve it.
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/09/17/jonny-bairstow-must-have-clinched-his-place-on-tour-of-india-s/
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