Johnny Bairstow needs to practice keeping with Tennis Ball: Adam Gilchrist.

In a recent statement, Adam Gilchrist, the renowned former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman, shared his perspective on the concerns surrounding Jonny Bairstow’s subpar wicketkeeping performance during the first Ashes 2023 Test. Gilchrist emphasized the importance of maintaining composure and avoiding premature panic within the English camp. He suggested that the key to improvement lies in a return to training and a focus on rectifying the fundamental aspects of Bairstow’s glovework.

Gilchrist proposed that Bairstow incorporates tennis ball practice into his training routine. According to Gilchrist, working with tennis balls can aid in developing the necessary skills to deal with varying bounce conditions. Bairstow’s noticeable errors, including the crucial missed opportunity to dismiss Australian all-rounder Cameron Green during the Edgbaston Test, underlined the urgency of addressing this aspect of his performance. Gilchrist believes that utilizing tennis balls in practice sessions enables wicketkeepers to refine their agility and precise movements, particularly in close proximity to the stumps.

Gilchrist said “They don’t need to panic, and I suspect they won’t. Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes are not panic merchants and have a lot of belief in the group they’ve got. But Jonny has come off an injury and will be better for the run. In the next week, he will practise his batting but I bet he does a lot of sharpening of his wicketkeeping. He’s a talented athlete and I reckon that’s a bit of an aberration: it’s not often that three or four chances go down behind the stumps,”