Why don’t Roy and Bairstow open in T20’s?

Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow reached their 13^th 100-run partnership in ODI internationals as they won by six wickets to level the ODI series against India on Saturday.

The duo have been in great form since helping England lift the World Cup back in 2019 and teammate Stuart Broad described them as the ‘best openers’ in the 50-over game. So, the question beckons, why do they not open in the T20 format?

Roy occupied one of the opening batting roles in their recent T20 series against India, but Bairstow came into bat at the number four spot. The latter has been averaging a strike rate of 126.57 in the one-day series against India so far and an average of 112.44 in his last six innings in which he has scored. His strike rate in the 20-over game was slightly higher at 132.14 but, as he comes in lower in the order, this is not fulfilling his potential.

England selectors and captain Eoin Morgan already know that Bairstow can open the batting in the shorter format of the game as he has already done so in the IPL. The Yorkshireman opened the batting for Sunrisers Hyderabad with Australia’s David Warner for the 2019 and 2020 editions of the tournament and they formed a strong partnership at the top of the order.

Bairstow has scored 790 runs across the two seasons and managed a highest score of 114. He has a strike rate of 142.34, which is higher than his average strike rate when batting lower in the order for England. His partnership with Warner helped the Sunrisers make the playoffs in both seasons and has seen him retained by the franchise for a third season.

In the most recent T20 series against India, Jos Buttler opened the batting with Roy in four of the five games. Buttler has made a name for himself as an inventive batsman who scores very quickly, especially in white-ball cricket. Like Bairstow, Buttler showed his qualities as an opening batsman in the IPL as he played for the Rajasthan Royals.

The 30-year-old was building a reputation as ‘the finisher’ of the innings but in the 2019 edition of the tournament, the Royals played him at the top of the order and it paid off.

Buttler played eight games at the top of the order in 2019 before leaving early to prepare for the World Cup. In those games, he averaged a strike rate of 151.70, which is higher than any of Bairstow’s average strike rates, and achieved a top score of 89 runs off just 43 balls.

Dawid Malan opened the batting with Roy in the most recent T20 game, scoring a valiant 68 off 46. Malan is also a good option for Morgan as he is currently ranked first in the ICC T20I batting rankings. In 24 T20 internationals, Malan has a strike rate of 144.31 and a very impressive average of 50.15.

With England losing the T20 series 3-2 to India, Morgan will have to consider which opening partnership he will go with for their next game in the format which takes place on 23 June against Sri Lanka.

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