England hope Jonny Bairstow stumping cloud can have Ashes silver lining

The international schedule rightly gets a hammering for matches backing up on to one another. But all praise to it for ensuring we only have one more day of "spirit of cricket" discourse.

Alex Carey's Sunday stumping of Jonny Bairstow at Lord's will have ideally run out of fumes by the time the third Test gets underway on Thursday. The actual cricket could not come back soon enough.

That will certainly be how both protagonists feel. And though Carey might be the man in the sightlines of the frothier pearl-clutchers, he has the best insulation. The laws help keep the conscience clear, the 2-0 scoreline gives comfort of a job well done. One win away from enacting Australia's first overseas Ashes win since 2001 keeping him focused.

For Bairstow, things are not quite as clear cut. His mood is said to be pretty much as you would expect. And as such, his England team-mates are getting around him. On Tuesday evening, they head over to his house for a barbecue, which has become a loose tradition when the squad is up in these parts. Having numbers over will provide relief from the noise. But it would not be a surprise if some of them use the opportunity to wind him up a little further. Such is the situation England find themselves in, with three must-win games in a row, they need the angry Bairstow more than ever.

"Jonny does thrive off things like this," Joe Root said on Tuesday at Headingley, a homecoming for both of them as well as Harry Brook. "Playing at his ground, I'm sure he will want to entertain the local crowd. I think it is set up nicely for him but you have still got to go and do it. You can bet your bottom dollar he will have the bit between his teeth."

When asked of Bairstow's current mood, Root, who has played alongside Bairstow since Under-12 level at Yorkshire, opted for sarcasm: "No, he has been really placid," before adding, "you can spot him from a mile off." No one wears anger as obviously.

The general awareness of Bairstow's frame of mind is a good thing at a time like this. "Jonny is Jonny" is a phrase you often hear when asking after him. Essentially, an answer acknowledging the motivation of the question, with a knowing nod to how things are. Not too dissimilar from "it is what it is".

A rekindling of his talents in 2022 - 681 runs for the summer, four centuries, at an average of 75.66 - was down to Ben Stokes's empathy, recognising exactly what Bairstow needs to thrive. After an eight-month spell out with a broken leg, Bairstow's belief and ball-striking remain undimmed. But a reaction is needed from the most pugnacious cricketers going. No one wants it more than him, partcularly against these opponents.

Bairstow has one of the more peculiar relationship with Australia. On statistics alone, they are a bit of an oddity, averaging more there (32.29) than he does over here (27.45). Both of his Ashes hundreds have been scored in Australia, a place where few modern English batters have excelled.

His first taste of this rivalry came in 2013, playing the first four Tests in a forgettable 3-0 England win. A second, more bitter taste was around the corner during the 2013-14 whitewash. Bairstow, who replaced Matt Prior behind the stumps for the final two matches, was so on the periphery as England's most successful collection of players of the modern era tore themselves apart that he often got mistaken for a Barmy Army supporter when walking the streets in team stash.

Then there was the "headbutt" that wasn't to Cameron Bancroft at the very start of the 2017-18 tour. A quieter 2019, saw him pitch in with an underrated 36 during the great Headingley heist, outscoring Stokes in a partnership of 86 for the fifth wicket.

And then there was last Ashes, in 2021-22, when Bairstow was heckled and told to lose weight by an Australian fan as he returned to the pavilion at Sydney. He went on to score the only England century of the tour.

The on- and off-field incidents of this series could end up trumping the lot. A fine opening knock of 78 was overshadowed by some lacklustre glovework, allowing Australia to triumph by two wickets in the first Test and restarting the Ben Foakes bandwagon.

An over into the second, he was carrying a Just Stop Oil protester back to the Grandstand with one hand. Between that and idly strolling out of his crease was another tough spell as keeper, taking his byes this series to 31. He failed to make those runs up in front of the stumps, with an avoidable dismissal in the first inning as he punched Josh Hazlewood to mid-on for 16.

Have we ever been more certain that Bairstow is going to do something this week in what will be his 93rd Test cap? His team-mates believe something special is in the offing.

"You want to be watching every ball this week," Root said. "There is always something in these big series and this is it I guess. And it would have to involve Jonny. What a week he had."

It was last year at Edgbaston that Bairstow previously dialled himself up to 11. He walked out against with England 44 for 3 after India had posted 416 in their first innings. Virat Kohli decided to engage Bairstow in some typically frosty back and forth. Bairstow responded with a 72-ball century and followed it up with an unbeaten 114 in the second innings to chase down 378.

This time around, the stakes are even higher. An Ashes on the line, Australia and Australians gunning for him, Bairstow will step into his home ground with every corner mimicking the fervour of the Western Terrace knowing his country needs him more than ever before.

The stage is set for Jonny to be Jonny.