Bairstow answers critics with hundred as Rahul limps off for India

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England made a stunning start at Edgbaston as Jonny

Bairstow scored a century, with KL Rahul injured for India.

Jonny Bairstow answered his critics with a century for England in their Cricket World Cup match with India, who saw KL Rahul forced from the field through injury.

Bairstow attracted criticism in the week leading up to the crucial Edgbaston clash for saying people were waiting for England to fail, the hosts having suffered successive damaging defeats to Sri Lanka and Australia.

Former captain Michael Vaughan slammed his mindset as “negative and pathetic” following those remarks but Bairstow was nothing but positive as he and Jason Roy got England off to a fantastic start.

They piled on 160 for the first wicket and, shortly after the returning Roy fell to Kuldeep Yadav, Bairstow reached his first World Cup hundred from 90 balls.

Bairstow was eventually caught at deep point off Mohammed Shami for 111, leaving England 205-2 after 31.4 overs and set for a substantial total on a wonderful batting pitch.

Rahul had earlier taken a tumble trying to catch a Bairstow shot that narrowly cleared the rope at long-on in the 16th over.

The fall left him limping heavily and he left the field at the end of the over, adding to India’s pain

However, his replacement Ravindra Jadeja broke the stunning opening stand with an outstanding catch to dismiss Roy.

Jadeja dived brilliantly low to his left at long-on as Roy attempted to cart Kuldeep – playing in his 50th ODI – down the ground, but there will be concern over the fitness of Rahul as India look set to chase a massive total.

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