Bairstow brilliance underlines English depth

Jonny Bairstow wasn't even in the team when England smashed an ODI record total of 3-444 against Pakistan at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.

But he showed the strength in depth of his side's batting resources to produce a man-of-the-match display in his side's four-wicket victory at Headingley on Thursday night.

England are 4-0 up after winning every game so far in the series and it was Bairstow - who has been in the form of his life this northern summer - whose 61 did much to help his side chase down the 248 runs they required in Leeds.

Quick Single: England extend Pakistan woe

It was an impressive performance from the Yorkshireman on his home ground, especially as he only had 32 minutes notice he was playing after Jos Buttler pulled up with a tight hamstring in the warm-up.

"I was just told 'you're in'," said Bairstow. "I got a message this morning saying Jos was fit so I just prepared as twelfth man. I came in early and had a bat against the Yorkshire academy lads and did my prep as you do.

"It's part and parcel of sport, it's why you do your preparation, and wait for an opportunity.

"It is what it is, you crack on and you don't have a choice really. I'm happy with the way I've kept all summer and the way I've batted so it wasn't a problem."

Buttler is the man keeping Bairstow out of England's limited-overs side, a role reversal from their respective fortunes in Test cricket after Bairstow took over the gloves in the longest form of the game from his team-mate during the Test series defeat against Pakistan in the UAE.

Quick Single: Arthur puts misfiring Pakistan on notice

Yet while Buttler has played no red-ball cricket at all since the second Test of that series in Dubai last October, he remains one of the most devastating short-form batsmen in the world, a fact underlined by his 51-ball blitz that took him to 90 in Nottingham this week.

It means Bairstow is likely to drop out of the side again when this ODI series concludes in Cardiff on Sunday, with England's limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan saying: "Jonny was outstanding but he's finding it hard to get into a winning side, which is a good problem for us."

Asked whether his situation was a frustrating one, the sometimes-fiery Bairstow momentarily lost his cool before recovering.

"Obviously yes. What do you want me to say?" he said.

"You can see the strength in depth with our white-ball cricket at the moment. It's a special group of players.

"But I'm naturally frustrated not to be in that XI week-in, week-out and it means every time I get an opportunity I want to impress. That's all I can do.

Quick Single: Returning Stokes to banish WT20 demons

"I'd like to cement a place at some point in time, but opportunities at the moment are few and far between and you've got to take it on the chin and crack on. When the opportunity comes, hopefully you take it. ."

Bairstow shared a 103-run stand with Ben Stokes at Headingley to help England recover from 4-72 in the 15th over of their chase.

The pair enjoy batting together, as was evident when they put on a 399-run partnership against South Africa in Cape Town in January during a match that saw Stokes hit the second-fastest double hundred in Test history and Bairstow bring up his maiden international hundred.

Stokes' 69 from 70 balls in Leeds was his highest international score since that 258 at Newlands and Bairstow said: "Obviously Stokesy is a bit of a free spirit so you just let him go and the way he played today was fantastic.

"You mention the partnership in Cape Town and that was in different circumstances and formats but the way we play together, it all just blends in. There was no panic in this game whatsoever even at four down."

Stokes was another who did not bat at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, left with his pads on in the changing-room as Buttler and Eoin Morgan helped plunder the runs that took their team to that record total.

It's just another sign of the embarrassment of batting riches England currently have in white-ball cricket.