Monday 23 May 2016 09:10, UK
Jonny Bairstow’s summer Test preparations included a goalkeeping coaching session with Newcastle United, England assistant head coach Paul Farbrace has revealed.
Bairstow put in a match-winning performance in the first Investec Test, taking nine catches and scoring a century with the bat to help England to 1-0 series lead against Sri Lanka.
"He did one session with the goalkeeping coaches at Newcastle, on balance and shape of the body," Farbrace said.
"He really enjoyed that, and got a lot from it."
Bairstow put down just one clear-cut chance as England raced to victory, and took the rest with great authority as James Anderson and Stuart Broad kept finding the edges.
"He looked balanced and very strong in his movements," Farbrace added.
"In South Africa [last winter], he looked unbalanced. Predominantly, he stood a fraction too wide [and] if you get a nick from there, you're off balance.
"The only chance he dropped in this game, he got done by the angle of the ball and missed it by a fraction.
"The rest of the game, I thought he kept incredibly well."
Coming in at number seven, Bairstow smashed 140 off just 183 balls in England's first innings to put the hosts in a commanding position against the tourists at Headingley last week.
Farbrace acknowledges Bairstow's form with the bat opens up the possibility both of him going up the order, in a team perhaps accommodating a return for Jos Buttler, or also joining his fellow wicketkeeper-batsman in England's limited-overs line-up.
"We have talked about whether he should bat at five," he said.
"If you can get Bairstow and Buttler in the same side that would be very exciting.
"You could argue he [Bairstow] should be in all forms of our game. If he keeps playing like that, then he gives himself a great chance."
