"It is a miracle he is playing" - Geoffrey Boycott on Jonny Bairstow playing with his ankle injury

Former England cricketer Sir Geoffrey Boycott defended his criticism of Jonny Bairstow after the keeper-batter shone in the 4th Ashes Test at Old Trafford. Boycott said that he criticized Bairstow for cricketing reasons and is baffled by how the wicket-keeper batter is taking the field in the first place, especially after suffering a severe ankle injury.

Bairstow participated in the 4th Ashes Test under plenty of pressure on the back of low scores and missed chances behind the stumps. Boycott had called for England to drop the 33-year-old ahead of the 4th Ashes Test.

However, the Yorkshire cricketer didn't miss any catch with the gloves at Old Trafford and took a stunner to dismiss Mitchell Marsh in the first innings.

Bairstow also smashed a whirlwind 99* in England's first innings to guide them to a massive total of 592 runs.

In his column for The Telegraph, the 82-year-old revealed that he wanted Bairstow to stay away from the spotlight due to his injury concerns, but hoped to see him continue his form during the final Test at the Oval.

"What often happens with him - and I have known him since he was a kid - is that criticism spurs him on and stirs him up. I didn't write my column for that reason; I did it for cricketing reasons. I just suggested that England take him out of the cauldron because that foot of his is a problem and he did not look to be moving freely. It is a miracle he is playing. It was a brilliant comeback."

The 108-Test veteran believes that Mark Wood's introduction in the series has been a massive factor in the hosts' resurgence. However, Boycott also acknowledged that Nathan Lyon's absence has left a gaping hole in Australia's attack.

"The introduction of Mark Wood's extra pace was a huge factor as he unsettled the opposition, never allowing them to get comfortable and Australia losing Nathan Lyon through injury was a big factor. Lyon was a huge miss because he can tie up an end to give their fast bowlers more rest and also take wickets."

Lyon suffered a calf injury during the second Test at Lord's, which ruled him out of the series. The veteran off-spinner played an integral role in the first Test, taking eight wickets in Australia's two-wicket victory.

"Ben Stokes was right to ask for hard, flat, fast batting pitches" - Geoffrey Boycott

Geoffrey Boycott. (Image Credits: Getty)

While Boycott heaped praise on Zak Crawley's swashbuckling 189, he believes the youngster's technique is still flawed and not suited to swinging tracks. He said:

"Zak Crawley was outstanding at Old Trafford. On flat pitches when the ball is not moving, he can murder bowlers. If the ball moves around, then his technique will be exposed. The flaws are still there. He does not know what to leave and has a gap between bat and pad. This is why Ben Stokes was right to ask for hard, flat, fast batting pitches. It suits people like Crawley to be positive with their batting."

Crawley smashed a 93-ball century at Old Trafford and claimed the Player of the Match award.