"Don't think about hitting it down, hit it in the stands" - Ben Stokes' advice to Jonny Bairstow
Following his skipper's advice, Jonny Bairstow fell one ball shy of recording the fastest England Test century ever.
Jonny Bairstow on Tuesday (June 14) afternoon produced one of Test cricket's most brutal assaults with the bat. The explosive right-hander hit the quickest century by an England batter in 120 years in a pivotal session of the Trent Bridge Test against New Zealand.
Bairstow, who smashed a match-winning 136 off just 96 deliveries in the run-chase on the final day, hit seven sixes and nine fours in the space of 44 deliveries in the last session of the Test match.
He missed out on a record fastest century ever from an England Test batter by just one extra ball, as the honour stayed with Gilbert Jessop, who mustered a 75-ball ton in a Test match played in 1902 against arch-rivals Australia.
Jonny Bairstow reached the landmark on the 76th delivery of his innings but he wasn't one bit worried about missing on the record, having followed amusing instructions from his skipper Ben Stokes on his way to a tremendous batting act.
Jonny Bairstow reveals interesting advice from skipper Ben Stokes
Batting alongside the centurion, Stokes pushed Jonny Bairstow to further let go of the beast inside him and try to whack the Kiwi attack for as many sixes as he could. Bairstow said Stokes told him to aim for the stands and put the shots down the ground at bay while they went after the 299-run target.
"Ben said don't even think about hitting it down, try to hit it into the stands," Bairstow was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times as he stitched an exceptional stand of 179 runs with Stokes, who made an attacking 75 at his end.
"It was great fun, one of those things when you get in that mood, just go with it. Do or die, so you've got to do. Not sure about 'picking the right ball'... strip it back, it's only you and the bowler there. Just watch the ball, that's the zone and you have to get in it," he added.
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The victory at Nottingham truly signalled the start of a new era for England as they embark on a journey to play a more attacking brand of Test cricket under captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum. It also sealed the three-match Test series 2-0 for the hosts, with one game left in Headingley, starting next Thursday (June 23).