"We trust each other's games now to just go and play" - Jonny Bairstow on his on-field chemistry with Ben Stokes

England batter Jonny Bairstow recently spoke about what it feels like to play alongside Ben Stokes out in the middle. The newly appointed Test captain led the side in a memorable 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand, with Bairstow playing a huge role.

Arriving on the Test cricket scene a year apart from each other, Bairstow and Stokes have gone on to become mainstays in the middle order over the last decade. With batting statistics that eerily mirror each other, their roles are now more defined and crucial than ever. Playing a key part in Brendon McCullum's system, the pair were at the center of things during their recent series win over the Black Caps.

Claiming that they trust each other's games at this point in time, Bairstow told Nasser Hussain in an interview with the Daily Mail:

"We've done it for quite a few years, haven't we? There actually wasn't that much said between us in the middle. We trust each other's games now to just go and play, which is a really good thing to have. You don't need to be saying things all the time."

Bairstow was at the other end when Ben Stokes scored his famous 258 against South Africa. The wicketkeeper-batter, scoring his long-awaited maiden century, put on 399 for the sixth wicket along with the all-rounder in Cape Town six years ago.

"Tactically very good on the field, and off it he's been clear what he wants from the guys" - Jonny Bairstow on Ben Stokes' captaincy

Ben Stokes was thrust into the captaincy seat after Joe Root's resignation following successive series defeats against Australia and the West Indies. The all-rounder has so far been crystal clear with his plans. He has injected confidence into the opening pair of Zak Crawley and Alex Lees, has placed Joe Root back at No. 4 and has brought back the senior duo of Stuart Broad and James Anderson.

Claiming that Stokes' experience on and off the field will help him flourish in the role, the wicketkeeper-batter said:

"He's been really good. Tactically very good on the field, and off it he's been clear what he wants from the guys. He hadn't done an awful lot of captaincy before taking over but he's had a lot of experiences, both on and off the field, that he's been able to bring together in order to lead this side."

Ben Stokes will have another challenge queued up in the form of the visiting Indian side. The two teams will fight it out in the rescheduled fifth Test match, starting later today (July 1) at Edgbaston, Birmingham.