Who is Dan Lawrence? Everything you need to know about the talented right-handed batter who could replace Jonny Bairstow in 4th India vs England Test match

Dan Lawrence, the young Essex batter, could replace Jonny Bairstow for the fourth India vs England Test match that will take place in Ranchi. Bairstow has struggled to find form in the series and has never looked at ease against the Indian spinners. Lawrence, who has already been to India, could well take his place.

What further bolsters his case is that he can also bowl off-spin and can share the responsibility with Joe Root.
Lawrence was always looked at as a prodigy, one of the shining lights in England cricket and he walked the talk on his debut in Sri Lanka back in 2021 where he started his Test career with a half-century in Galle. There were moments of brilliance along the way, but he has not been able to nail down a spot in England’s playing XI.

He hails from Chingford CC, and became the third-youngest player to notch a Championship century when he notched up an impressive 161 for Essex against Surrey at The Oval in April 2015 when he was just 17.

Lawrence continued to impress and 2017 was one of his best years as he was adjudged the Young Cricketer of the Year by the Cricket Writers’ Club for his outstanding performance – he scored 761 runs at an average of 44.76, which included three centuries. He played a big role in Essex bagging the County Championship title for the first time in 25 years. He also made his debut for the England Lions and earned selection for a Lions training camp in Australia.

His performances in first-class cricket slipped away slightly, but he became a match-winner in limited-overs formats. In 2018, he notched up his maiden List A century and once again was a central figure in Essex being the T20 Blast winners.

Made a good impression in Australia

During the winter, he shone against Australia A with England Lions as he brought up a brilliant ton under lights against the pink ball. This performance caught the attention of England selectors, especially during the Covid-affected summer of 2020. Key players like Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, and Rory Burns were all unavailable and Lawrence got his maiden England call-up for the tours of Sri Lanka and India. He was part of five out of six Tests on the subcontinent, but could not quite carve out a permanent position for himself.

He did make a comeback in the West Indies after England’s 4-0 drubbing in the Ashes and sparkled with a career-best 91 in Barbados.

Unfortunately, he was injured soon after and his form too was not very inconsistent. He has not been part of this new “Bazball” revolution led by Stokes and Brendon McCullum. He was, however, named in the squad for the India Tests when Harry Brook pulled out at the start of the series.