Jonny Bairstow believes his early struggles with England have turned him into the budding international superstar he now appears to be.
Bairstow had the perfect day for England against Sri Lanka at Headingley. On his home ground, the wicketkeeper-batsman scored 140 and claimed five catches as the tourists were bowled out for 91.
Bairstow made his Test debut in 2012 but struggled really to establish himself as an England player until last winter, when he scored 150 not out against South Africa in Cape Town.
But this effort - coupled with his outstanding domestic form in the last two summers - suggests he is now comfortable at the highest level.
“In the last couple of years things have clicked into place,” he said.
“It’s a story of hard work over many years. I was in the side, then I was dropped, I came back, I wasn’t picked again.
“You learn a lot about yourself when you are out of the side, about what you need to do to get back to where you were. I accepted I didn’t make the most of my early chances.
“I’m not sure there are many players with successful careers who didn’t have a blip at some point, where they were left out.
"Jimmy Anderson had that in the early stages of his career.
“You’re in for a bit, then maybe you go away, learn about yourself and your game and come back stronger.
"Hopefully that’s something I’ve managed to do over the last 18 months to two years.”
Bairstow’s century here was his second in Tests but his first in England.
His efforts behind the stumps meant Sri Lanka had to follow-on and when bad light stopped play they were one without loss in their second innings, still 206 runs short of making England bat again.
Bairstow added: “It’s one of those days that won’t come around too often. The hundred in England has been a while coming but it’s nice to back up my form from the winter.”
