Saturday 23 December 2017 10:15, UK
Jonny Bairstow has launched a robust defence of England's opening bowling partnership of Stuart Broad and James Anderson.
Broad, in particular, has struggled in the Ashes series, taking just five wickets at an average of over 60. Anderson has fared better taking 12 wickets at an average of nearly 26 but it has not stopped the pair coming in for criticism from some quarters.
Bairstow is an unequivocal supporter of the record-breaking new-ball partnership, who have banked more than 900 wickets together but, after their 244 Tests, also have a combined age of 66.
Speaking ahead of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, Bairstow said: "Naturally, people will pick things apart when they are not going well.
"But you've also got to remember that those two guys opening the bowling for us are now the most successful ever seam-bowling partnership that's ever played the game.
"So yes, you can pick it to pieces and do whatever you wish, but the guys have got some serious skills - serious skills - and that's not just in England, that's all the way around the world.
"To pick apart someone's technique, their bowling stats because of one or two games - having played more than 100 Test matches - I think is pretty tough."
With England 3-0 down in the series and facing the possibility of a whitewash, captain Joe Root has also been a target for the critics.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting called on Root to "step up big time" and stop looking like a "little boy" and Bairstow accepts they owe the captain two vastly-improved performances in Melbourne and then in Sydney.
"We don't just owe him; we owe ourselves as well," said Bairstow. "You don't come away and work as hard as we've worked to get nothing out of a tour."
"You can talk as much as you want to talk about the whitewash - but in our minds, it's not on the agenda.
"In our eyes it is (now) a two-Test series. Let's try to put things right that we haven't previously - start with a clean slate."
