Jonny Bairstow to become the 17th man to play 100 Tests for England; Yorkshireman says he will be "emotional" in series finale against India in Dharamsala; follow match with live blog on skysports.com and Sky Sports App from Thursday (4am first ball)
Tuesday 5 March 2024 13:17, UK
Jonny Bairstow is bracing himself for an "emotional" 100th Test for England as he prepares to become the 17th man from his country to reach the milestone.
The 34-year-old will play his landmark match in the picturesque setting of Dharamsala, the foothills of the Himalayas, as England look to end their tour of India on a high.
The tourists have already lost the series, with the five-wicket defeat in Ranchi last time handing India an unassailable 3-1 lead ahead of the fifth and final Test from Thursday (4am first ball).
"It means a hell of a lot. Every young kid that sets out on a journey playing professional cricket wants to try and play 100 Test matches," said Bairstow, whose captain, Ben Stokes, reached the landmark earlier this month.
"You look back to 2012 when I made my debut at Lord's. If 12 years later you'd said I'd be playing 100 Test matches… you'd snap your hand off for one but also pinching yourself as well.
"It will be an emotional week. I'm proud, you know what I'm like, I'm an emotional guy - so get the tissues ready! It's a special week for me like it was a special week for Ben a few weeks ago.
"It's great to have my family out here, it's an amazing place to come, they've come to some pretty cool places along the way as well. It's a special occasion for everyone who has been there on the journey."
On potentially marking the occasion with a 13th Test hundred, Bairstow - who has averaged 21.25 in the series with a top-score of 38 in eight innings - said: "It would be nice. Like in every game, you put your best foot forward.
"I've probably batted the worst I have all trip," said Bairstow of his latest net session. "But the whole trip I've been happy with how I've been moving, I've been in the zone the whole way.
"No matter what it is, I'll be going out there, chewing my gum, puffing my chest out and trying to have a good time with the other 10 blokes out there.
"Whatever the situation is, we'll be going out there with smiles on our faces, like we have done in the whole series."
Bairstow's England career has been one of numerous highs and lows.
He scored the most runs by a wicketkeeper in a calendar year in 2016 and then struck four centuries as a specialist batter during the first Bazball summer of 2022.
But he has since had to rebound from a broken leg suffered 18 months ago, while he has had periods out of the England side, missing 51 Tests since his debut in 2012.
India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is also set to play his 100th Test, becoming the 14th man from his nation to do so, but insists that "does not mean anything to me".
The 37-year-old, who claimed his 500th Test wicket earlier in the series, told reporters: "Just because I have great memory, people actually think that I value numbers, but I actually don't.
"It does not mean anything to me. The 100th Test match probably means 10 x 100 to my dad, it means a lot to my wife and my mother. My daughters are more excited than I am. It's just a number.
"Zaheer Khan could not play his 100th Test match, MS Dhoni could have rode on his [success] and played 100 Tests, but he did not."
Follow text commentary from day one of the fifth Test between India and England live on skysports.com and the Sky Sports App from 3.30am on Thursday March 7 (4am first ball).
Anthony Joshua's heavyweight showdown with Francis Ngannou takes place on Friday March 8, live on Sky Sports Box Office with the main event expected around 11pm. Book now!
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