ENG vs IND | Swann not happy with Bairstow's form after end of Day 2

England cricket team is in deep waters in the fifth rescheduled Test match against India at the Edgbaston in Birmingham. Before the Test match, the host had the momentum on their side as they defeated New Zealand by 3-0 in a three-match Test series last month.

However, the team has failed to replicate the performance so far against India. After being asked to bat first, the Indian team posted a humongous total of 416 runs on the scoreboard. Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja smacked a hundred each, while Jasprit Bumrah added finishing touches to power India to a good score.

Batting in Birmingham hasn’t been as smooth for England as displayed by the Indian batters. England’s top and middle-order fell like a pack of cards in their first batting innings. The skipper Bumrah led from the front as he picked three wickets, including Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, and Ollie Pope.

Mohammed Siraj struck towards the end of day two to send Joe Root back to the pavilion, while Mohammed Shami dismissed Jack Leach. With almost half of the team back to the dugout, the host can’t afford to make any more mistakes with the bat.

Meanwhile, Bairstow didn’t look good in the middle on day two. The batter is known for his aggressive batting technique. However, he is yet to showcase his talent in front of the Indian seamers.

The performance has raised many eyebrows in the cricket fraternity. Not long back, the middle-order batter smacked the New Zealand bowlers all over the park in home conditions. Jonny Bairstow is playing against India after smashing back-to-back hundreds at Trent Bridge and Headingley against the Kiwis. 

Elaborating his opinion on Jonny’s poor form against India, former English spinner Graeme Swann blamed the quality of the bowling unit. 

"Jonny Bairstow looks a shadow of the player who was smashing it against New Zealand last week. He wasn't facing bowling of this standard," Swann said while speaking on the Sony Sports Network during day two of the rescheduled Test match. However, to everyone's surprise, Bairstow managed to back his form and score a bright century on the third day taking on the Indian seamers and scoring 106.

Meanwhile, Skipper Stokes scored a brisk 25 of 36 deliveries after being dropped twice by the Indian fielders. As of writing, England were bundled out for 284 after the end of first innings.