It's Good to See Ravi Bopara Back, But You Cannot Help But Feel Sorry For Young Jonny Bairstow

Johnny Bairstow: Not included in squad

When the England test squad to face South Africa was announced last night, it has to be said there was a certain feeling of mixed emotions.

A big Essex fan myself, I was understandably delighted to see Ravi Bopara earn a recall to the side, with it seeming likely that he will make his first appearance in the five day game for over a year.

But there was also a tinge of sadness. The decision to leave out the talented young Yorkshire wicket-keeper batsman, Jonny Bairstow.

On the face of it, you can see the reasoning. Bairstow was brought into the squad for the series against the West Indies earlier on this summer to much speculation and hype. In his three games, however, he returned a disappointing total of 38 runs.

When Geoffrey Boycott handed him his first cap it was one of those moments that raises the hairs on the back of your neck – for many a hardened cricket fan, it might well have brought a tear to their eye.

The relationship between the young pretender and the England batting legend is a unique one. For much of his childhood, Boycott was a mentor to Bairstow – the closest thing he really had to a father during his teenage years.

A former England cricketer himself, David Bairstow, Jonny's real father, would surely have been a proud man to see his son pull on the England whites, and for his best mate Geoffrey to hand him the sacred cap.

That was not to be however. Bairstow senior took his own life in January 1998.

Suffering from depression, a common condition after retirement from top level cricket, he had tried to end it all weeks before by taking an overdose.

It is a desperately sad story, made all the worse by the fact that, on this occasion, Jonny Bairstow could not quite hold down that place in the side.

Naturally, he will return to county cricket now, and being young, it seems almost certain that his chance will come again. It is now just a case of getting runs on the board, working hard and proving the doubters wrong.

On the other side of the coin, of course, it is a delight to see Ravi Bopara's first class career being given another chance – and I hope this time, he can take it.

Now aged 27, Bopara has only won 12 caps for the England test team, an extraordinarily low number for a player of his undoubted talent.

It was his scintillating form in the recent one-day series against Australia that convinced the selectors that he would be worth another shot.

Indeed, Bopara offers an insurance policy to the selectors too. Not only can he bat, but he is pretty handy with the ball – significant, considering England seem likely stuck with their policy of including only four out-and-out bowlers with Graham Onions likely to only be used as a sub.

It will not be easy for Bopara, though, South Africa are the number two ranked team in the world and will know they have a chance of dislodging England from the top of the pile with a series win.

With Dale Steyn in hot form and perched at the top of the ICC bowler rankings, he will be the one Bopara and his batting colleagues will have to stop – but then again, England were pretty successful at doing that when Mitchell Johnson landed on English soil in a similar situation in 2009.

The series gets under way on Thursday, with the Brit Oval hosting the first test, and it could prove to be the beginning of a big few weeks of international cricket, with seismic consequences.

An Indian summer of cricket

There are two big questions on the lips of cricket fans this week. When will Sachin Tendulkar reach his landmark one-hundredth international century? And, are England the finest Test side on the planet?

Tendulkar made his test début way back in 1989, aged 16, against Pakistan in Karachi. Coming into bat at number six, the youngster looked to have a tough job on his hands.

With Pakistan having been bowled out for a good first innings score of 409, the Indians were struggling at 41-4. To make matters worse, the Pakistan team of then had a formidable bowling attack which included both Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.

It probably won't go down as one of Tendulkar's finest displays, as he was clean bowled by Younis for just 15 runs, and the game ended as a draw. What it was, however, was the beginning of an era.

It would probably be fate if The Little Master were to make his hundredth international century at some point in the coming series against England. It was the English who he scored his first century against at Old Trafford in 1990.

His first attempt will come on Thursday at Lords, the home of cricket. It is hard to believe that a man who has not only scored 100 against all of the test playing nations, but has scored 150 against them all too, does not have a Lord's century to his name.

It is something that Tendulkar has said would be a dream of his, but he is now down to his last attempt.

The second and third test matches are to be played at Nottinghamshire's Trent Bridge and Warwickshire's Edgbaston grounds. In 1996, Tendulkar enjoyed a fine summer against England which included centuries at both of those grounds.

The Oval, another ground he is yet to make a century on, is the venue for the fourth and final test.

Tendulkar has carved a reputation, down the years, for being the finest batsman of his generation – indeed, the most prolific run-maker and greatest cricketing icon of all time.

It has rightly been observed many times before, that he does not really have a weakness, with his balance, movement and precision stroke-play making him a truly terrifying opponent.

England off-spinner, Graeme Swann admitted this week that it would be wonderful to see Tendulkar reach the impressive 'century of centuries' milestone, but is determined not to let that happen in this series.

Fair enough, too. England have priorities of their own going into what is, aside from the Ashes, one of the most hyped Test series' of the Millennium.

As if winning a test match alone was not motivation enough, England have the added carrot of becoming the world number one test side should they win the series by a margin of two or more.

It is all very crowded at the top of the ICC World Rankings right now. India currently hold top spot, but South Africa and England are not far behind, and are looking to displace them.

No one can possibly predict the outcome of such an eagerly anticipated series, but one thing is for sure; over the next few weeks, cricket fans the world over are going to be in for a treat.