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Bairstow claims consistency is the key for England

Bairstow claims consistency is the key for England

Jonny Bairstow wants England to avoid complacency when they face West Indies at Headingley after a comprehensive victory over the tourists in the first Test last week.

Joe Root's side won by an innings and 209 runs inside three days at Edgbaston, the hosts taking 19 wickets on Saturday to clean up in sensational fashion.

Such was the gulf in class in Birmingham many have suggested a 3-0 whitewash is a mere formality, with the second leg of that triumph expected to come in Leeds.

But Bairstow insists England are not taking anything for granted, having struggling for consistency against South Africa after winning the first Test in that series.

"I think we were pretty ruthless in that first game, we put a lot of pressure on them to make mistakes," the wicketkeeper said.

"When we bowled we put the ball in the right area and forced them into making errors and when we batted, Cooky [Alastair Cook] getting 250 and Rooty getting 140, that is ruthlessness.

"That is us going out and playing the way that we know we can play and for us it's backing it up because we've not necessarily backed it up in previous series. 

"South Africa are the prime example: we did really well in the first Test, slumped in the second Test and then there was a backlash.

"Leading in now, it's a case of backing that first game up because we know that we've not necessarily been as good at that as we should be."