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[CharlieH]

 

Jonny Bairstow says he is set for an "emotional week" as he becomes the 17th man to play 100 Tests for England.

Yorkshire batter Bairstow will reach the landmark in the fifth Test against India in Dharamsala, 12 years after making his debut against West Indies.

 

"It's an amazing week, an amazing place and an amazing occasion," Bairstow told BBC Sport.

"To be out there with some of your best pals, enjoying the occasion. I'm really looking forward to it."

Bairstow, 34, follows Ben Stokes to a century of England caps, after the captain achieved the milestone in the third Test of the series.

Bairstow's journey has not been as straightforward as contemporaries like Stokes and Joe Root. Whereas Bairstow is England's second-longest-serving current player after James Anderson, he has missed 51 of the Tests played since he made his debut at Lord's in 2012.

 

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Injuries have played a part, most notably a horrific broken leg sustained on a golf course in 2022, but Bairstow has also had spells when he has been left out of the side. He has endured periods of poor form, but has also been a victim of his versatility - batting up and down the order and having spells as wicketkeeper and without the gloves.

"Throughout the whole journey of being an international sportsman and a sportsman in general, there will be challenges," Bairstow told BBC Sport.

 

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[2baht]

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