Jonny Bairstow has played down the verbal argument he had with former India captain Virat Kohli at the start of Day 3 in the Edgbaston Test. Kohli was seen passing comments on Bairstow's batting as the Englishmen struggled early on against Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami followed by a verbal duel that ended with Kohli asking Bairstow to "Shut up, Just stand and bat".
Undeterred from the sledging, Bairstow went on to score a sensational hundred to keep the hosts alive in the contest. Bairstow was asked about the incident after the end of the day's play and the England batter played it down by saying it's "part and parcel of the game".
"We've played against each other for a solid 10 years now, so it's a bit of craic," he said. "We're fiercely competitive on the field and that's what it's about. We're playing Test cricket, we're two competitors, that's why we play the game and that's what brings the best out of us. You want to be out there, you want to do your best and you want to win. Whatever it takes, you want to get your team over the line. That's part and parcel of the game."
