England coach McCullum backs struggling Bairstow to come good
The HinduEngland's Jonny Bairstow has come in for criticism after scoring just 102 runs in three matches in India but coach Brendon McCullum said it was important to show faith in the batter and that he has no plans to drop him for the fourth test in Ranchi. The 34-year-old's struggles with the bat prompted former England captain Alastair Cook to say he should be dropped from the side but McCullum is keen on helping him rediscover his form. Asked if Bairstow would make his 99th test appearance in Ranchi this week, McCullum told reporters: "I haven't even seen the wicket. "So from our point of view, we've got to keep on giving him confidence and block out a lot of the external noise as well and keep him really present and focused on what he's trying to achieve, and I'm sure Jonny will come good. "