Jonny Bairstow: ‘You can either sulk, or you can pull it all together’

Bairstow has been shunted up and down the order across all three formats over the course of his career and found yet another new role at Newlands in the first match of the tour.

Moved down from his established role as a bludgeoning white-ball opener, the Yorkshireman dragged England back from 34-3 in pursuit of 180 and won the match with a wonderful 86 not out. It was the kind of knock that the sport’s finest finishers would be proud to call their own.

“You’ve got two choices, you can be disgruntled by it or you can use the experiences you’ve had previously – in Test cricket, in one-day cricket, in T20s, in the IPL, for England – and put it all together in the best way possible,” he said.

“I’m really happy with where my game is at at the moment. I hope there is a calmness and a composure there and that evidently came across, which is really pleasing.

“Batting in a new position is something you have to enjoy. I think you learn to craft your innings in different ways. That is the thing that has stood me in good stead for batting at four.

“If it continues then great but who knows, different surfaces will change the order. We are very flexible in our order.

Waters on Bairstow: Page 5