England vs Ireland | To stride out in a Test match with Jason Roy is a pretty cool feeling, says Rory Burns

07/23/2019

England opener Rory Burns has stated that to open with his Surrey teammate Jason Roy in a Test match is a cool feeling and that he is relishing the opportunity. Burns has also added that Roy has a lot of strokes in his arsenal and he can be a wonderful player for the Three Lions in the Test cricket.

After Ed Smith took over the role of the national chief selector, he established his own ethos and brought in players to the Test arena on the basis of their limited-overs form. After successfully porting Jos Buttler and Adil Rashid last year, Smith has picked Surrey opener Jason Roy to open against Ireland in the Lord’s Test starting tomorrow and a good outing there can pave the way for an Ashes selection.

This has especially come as good news for Rory Burns, who will be the other opener for the game, as the duo have played the game together throughout their lives for Surrey and East Surrey district cricket. Burns stated that it is really a cool feeling.

"It's going to be good fun, it's going to be exciting," said Burns. "I've known Jase since he was 10 so to stride out in a Test match with him is a pretty cool feeling. In our school days we might have opened the batting, but very fleetingly,” Burns was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

"We first met playing East Surrey district cricket and then Surrey up all through the age groups. Bleach blonde hair and a massive head is how I remember him and quite an aggressive stroke player. He hasn't changed much since."

Roy was in splendid form in the World Cup and averaged over 60 in England’s Championship campaign. Although he missed a few matches due to a hamstring strain, he recovered just in time to hit two half-centuries - against India and Australia - to help England qualify for the final. Burns believes that Roy has it in him to translate the same performance to the Test level.

"Jase probably does have to tame his style slightly. But if he goes out and plays the way he does and makes good decisions then we've seen, particularly over the last couple of years, what a wonderful player he is. So I don't think there's any reason why he can't translate his white-ball form into the red-ball game. I think I'd be hard pushed to find another player I've played with as talented as him,” the opener said.

"Even growing up as a kid you saw Jason hit the ball and strike the ball and do things other kids couldn't do. Over the last couple of years you've seen him reign it in, understand his game a bit more and sort of piece it all together. Hopefully, he can keep on doing that and he can translate his white-ball form into red ball."

England will take on Ireland in the latter’s third Test match at the “home of cricket”, starting on July 24.