"I wondered what I had done to deserve it" - Jonny Bairstow recalls freaky, almost career-ending golf injury

England wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow has recalled some of his "dark days" from September 2022 when he broke his left leg and dislocated his left ankle after slipping while playing golf.

The injury ruled him out of that year's T20 World Cup, despite being named in the squad, and put a months-long break on his Test career which was on the up after he was named the Test cricketer of the year.

Bairstow, speaking to The Telegraph before his 100th Test against India in Dharamshala on Thursday, called it his “greatest challenge” so far. He added that although the doctors initially told him that the injury was 'bad', they didn't inform him that it was potentially career-ending until he pushed himself to recover.

“To get back from that, to get through six Test matches keeping wicket and batting as I did [last summer], just a few months after that injury. I know people will talk about how I performed, they can do that. But I was so proud to do that. I didn’t know if I was going to make it back," Bairstow said in the interview," he said.

He added:

"There were some dark days that winter. That whole journey was horrible, but Megan was amazing. To have been playing so well, to do something playing golf, walking down a bank, so innocently. To get injured so badly that it puts you out for that long. I questioned myself a lot at that time. I wondered what I had done to deserve it.”

Bairstow said he went back to the spot of his injury to overcome his fear as well.

“I walked straight past that spot and down a slightly less steep bank. I needed to get over my demons before I can get closer,” he concluded.

After averaging 66.31 in 2022, Bairstow scored 322 runs at 40.25 in 2023 but has managed just 170 runs at 21.25 so far in 2024.

"You want to leave the game in a better place for the next person" - Jonny Bairstow

Bairstow also spoke about growing up watching highlights of Test cricket, and specifically, "not One-Day cricket", after returning from school and learning from the greats of English cricket.

“To now become part of an amazing group of players who have played 100 Tests for England is very exciting. So many of that list are heroes of mine. You want to leave the game in a better place for the next person who comes through, and provide memories for fans. It’s going to be an emotional week. I want to enjoy the occasion, and try to put on a show with the lads for the amazing fans that follow us around the world," he said.

Bairstow will become the 17th from his country to play 100 Tests.