England batsman Jonny Bairstow has hit back at former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar on his criticism of the batsman during the Test series against India earlier this year. Gavaskar had said that Bairstow looked "uninterested" after a soft dismissal off Ravichandran Ashwin in the second innings of the second Test in Chennai.
Bairstow, who scored a century in the second ODI of the series on Friday, said that Gavaskar is welcome to speak to him directly about his opinion on the England player's Test cricket.
"First of all, no, I hadn't heard that, and secondly, I am interested as to how opinion can have been made especially when there has been no correspondence and communication between myself and him," Bairstow said during a virtual press conference after the game.
"So he is more than welcome to give me a ring and I will speak to him about my will to do well in Test cricket and the enjoyment I do get out of playing Test cricket. As I said, my phone is on. If he wants, he can call or message me,"
Gavaskar, commenting on Bairstow's dismissal in the second Test, had said that the England batsman was "uninterested."
“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."
Bairstow scored 124 in the second ODI to steer England to a 6-wicket win, drawing the three-match series level at 1-1. Apart from Bairstow, Ben Stokes scored 99, as the duo forged a match-winning partnership for the second wicket.
India had won the Test series 3-1 and defeated England in a closely contested T20I series 3-2.
