ENG vs IND | We're playing Test cricket; we're two competitors: Jonny Bairstow

There is no stopping Jonny Bairstow in Test cricket at the moment. The English middle-order batter smashed his third successive Test century against the mighty Indian bowling order on Sunday. 

Perhaps, what got the in-form batter fired up was his heated battle with Virat Kohli out in the middle.

Jonny Bairstow was probably the only English batter who looked certain out in the middle and fearlessly played his natural game. He scored 106 runs off 140 balls, helping the hosts cut down on the first innings deficit. Bairstow reflected on his battle with Virat Kohli on the field and stated that such moments are part and parcel of the game.

Virat Kohli and Jonny Bairstow are two of the fiercest competitors at the moment. The English batter and former Indian skipper exchanged a few words during the match, with Virat Kohli trying to sledge Bairstow into a mistake. 

Bairstow said to Sky Sports about the heated exchange: 

"We've played against each other for a solid 10 years now, so it's a bit of craic. We're fiercely competitive on the field, and that's what it's about."

Jonny Bairstow had no hard feelings toward Virat Kohli and believed that the Indian batter was just playing a part in getting his team a crucial wicket. 

"We're playing Test cricket; we're two competitors; that's why we play the game, and that's what brings the best out of us."

"You want to be out there, you want to do your best, and you want to win. Whatever it takes, you want to get your team over the line. That's part and parcel of the game," said Bairstow.

India clearly have a strong grip on the match going into the penultimate day. India has already taken a 257-run lead in the second innings, with seven wickets in hand. However, with Rishabh Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara looking comfortable out in the middle, England could be in for a long field day again.

However, Jonny Bairstow has refused to let his guard down and believes England will look to chase down whatever target they are asked to chase down. Recently, England became the first side in Test cricket history to chase down three scores of over 250 in a single series against New Zealand.

"If we nick a couple of them in the morning, and Stokes mentioned it at the toss, we'll have a chase, and that's exactly what we'll be trying to do. We won't be shutting up shop, that's for sure," Bairstow asserted.