IPL 2021: Jonny Bairstow breaks a fridge glass with a six downtown off Trent Boult

In the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) first two matches in the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL), Jonny Bairstow batted in the middle order. It was Wriddhiman Saha, who opened the batting alongside skipper David Warner. The tactic didn’t quite work out as the former got out cheaply in both games. Moreover, the Orange Army ended on the losing side in those matches.

In the third match against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, SRH dropped Saha and Bairstow was back at the top with Warner. The move paid rich dividends as while chasing 151, the latter got his team off to a flying start. After being cautious in the first two overs of the run-chase, the Sunrisers blazed away and garnered 57 runs in the powerplay.

Jonny Bairstow shows his power

Even as Warner was a tad sedate, Bairstow threw the kitchen sink at everything. He was severe on the MI bowlers, especially the New Zealand pace duo of Trent Boult and Adam Milne. In the third over, Jonny smashed Boult for a humongous six downtown. The pacer bowled a length delivery and Bairstow showed the full face of the bat, hitting the ball over the ropes.

Not only did he hit the six, but he also managed to break the fridge glass. The SRH dugout was beside the fridge and they witnessed the glass getting hammered. In that over, the Sunrisers’ opener scored 18 runs off the first four balls after which he played out a couple of dot balls.

Here’s the video:

Bairstow went on to score 43 runs off 22 balls with the help of three fours and four sixes. He and Warner put on a partnership of 67 for the opening wicket off 7.2 overs. When he got out, the required rate had come down below seven. It was Krunal Pandya, who picked up his wicket.

Bairstow tried to ramp the left armer through the fine leg region, but he lost his balance. His back leg landed on the stumps and the right-hander couldn’t help himself. Though he got out, he made sure of putting the Sunrisers on the driver’s seat with a masterful display of power-hitting.