England’s Morgan hopeful of Bairstow fitness ahead of crunch World Cup final

Eoin Morgan has brushed aside concerns that Jonny Bairstow will miss England’s World Cup final through injury.

Jonny Bairstow had pulled up with what appeared to be an injury during England’s chase of 224. Bairstow was on 23 midway through the 12th over, requiring lengthy treatment on a potential leg injury before continuing.

However, the England captain was not overly concerned about Bairstow’s chances of making the final.

“I’m not sure what it was, but he seemed to move all right after it, so it is not very concerning I don’t think,” Morgan said. “It might be a niggle, we don’t know until he is scanned, but after it, he seemed to move well, so that’s a good sign.”

Bairstow played a supporting role with the belligerent Jason Roy as the opening pair added 124 inside 18 overs to dampen any Australian hopes of defending their modest total.

Bairstow and Roy have enjoyed four partnerships of 123 or more at the top of the order during this World Cup. Their value as a pairing is emphasised by England’s opening partnerships with James Vince and Bairstow when Roy was unavailable through injury. Vince, Roy’s replacement, and Bairstow’s three opening partnerships yielded a total of only 45 runs.

Nonetheless, regardless of who opens the batting for England, Sunday represents a brilliant opportunity for England to win their first World Cup and potentially inspire a nation. The significance of the final is a fact not lost on Eoin Morgan.

“This final is a huge opportunity for us. Looking back to where we were in 2015 compared to now it’s such a dramatic improvement and everyone in the dressing room deserves a huge amount of credit. 

“Making the most of it would be brilliant, but getting to the final alone is awesome. The World Cup has gone pretty alright for me. The team have played really well – we haven’t had smooth sailing in the whole tournament, but we are peaking at the right time and should be able to take the momentum with us all the way through to Sunday.”

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