Son, you made me proud

Jonny Bairstow was stuck on 99 at Cape Town in the second Test on 2016. He needed just one more run and plenty of thoughts cropped up in his mind, especially the thoughts of his father late David Bairstow whose death anniversary was tow days later. Mr. David was suffering from a depression and on one black day, the eight-year old Jonny and his family experienced his father’s suicide in a very uncomfortable manner. It was tough times for the Bairstow family. His mother was suffering from a cancer while his sister was too young to feel the horrendous impact of the tragedy.

Mr. David was a renowned cricketer himself and had a lot of influence on the blue-eyed young Jonny to take cricket seriously. Bairstow’s mother struggled to the limits to make her children able enough. At Cape Town, perhaps, she was nervous when his son needed one run to break the hoodoo of nervous nineties – he failed to overcome a red hot Morkel at Lord’s in 2012 and ended up the ghost on 95.

Morkel was still giving him troubles but Bairstow sustained the pressure despite the memories of his father trying to overcast his concentration. One more run, yes one more run was needed to make Mr. Bairstow happy. One more run was needed to say “YES”.

South Africa brought on Van Zyl and Jonny middled one to backward pont for four. We all heard “Yesssss”. The heavens heard it as well as Jonny went on to notch up 150 runs.

“My mum is sometimes unable to look when I bat; she might hide in a corridor when I get near a landmark score. I know she’ll braved this one out, but everyone is standing and applauding so I can’t hear her first. I point my bat towards where I know for certain she and Becky are sitting, gesture for them alone.

Eventually the noise of the crowd dies away. And I think of starting my innings again. But first, I take one last look at the sky. If heaven has a pub, I hope my dad is in it now. I hope he’s ordering a pint to celebrate.

Then I hope he orders another one”.

***

Dawid Malan and Jonny have already scripted an influential partnership to boost England’s confidence. Malan reached his hundred to earn all the accolades, but at the other end, Jonny was calm and quiet and thinking of reaching another milestone to stabilise England’s position and make his father happy on the eve of Christmas. Just like Cape Town, he needed one more run. One more run to answer the critics of head-butt and make his father say “YES” in the heaven.

Mitchell Marsh delivered one short and Jonny swung it towards leg to reach his fourth Test hundred. His celebration was a bit of a nuzzle for his helmet and then look towards the sky in search of his father.

“What a brilliant knock! Son, you made me proud. More strength to you. This is my Christmas gift.”

Perhaps, David said such. May be yes, may be no. Only Bairstow can say as all son and daughter have a special telepathic connection with their parents.    

David is a proud father today. Surely an Ashes ton in the home of enemy means a lot! 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar