JONNY BAIRSTOW rode a wave of confidence and good fortune to add to his astonishing 2016.
The Yorkshireman hit another century — his first at Lord’s — as England recovered from 84-4 to end day one on 279-6.
And Bairstow admitted the ton ended four years of hurt, having been dismissed for 95 here against South Africa in 2012.
He said: “They were five runs that loomed over me for a few years, so it’s nice to put the record straight.
“It’s been a tough four years but I’m on the honours board now.
“It was a really special moment and I was pretty emotional. The ovation when I got there is something I’ll never forget.”
Bairstow, 26, is enjoying a remarkable year.
He scored his maiden Test ton in Cape Town in January and then reached three figures on his home ground at Headingley in the First Test of this series.
But he needed two big slices of luck yesterday.
First, he was dropped at mid-wicket by Shaminda Eranga on 11 — an absolute sitter — and then survived an lbw review by about half-a-millimetre.
Under new regulations proposed by the ICC cricket committee — which reduce the ‘umpire’s call’ from needing 50 per cent of the ball to hit the stumps to 25 per cent — the England man would have been out.
But while Bairstow celebrated, Nick Compton cut a dejected figure after being caught behind for just one.
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Compton, 32, must know a pair of scissors is about to be applied to the thread by which his England career is dangling.
Only a miraculous second innings can save him from the exit door — expect Durham’s Scott Borthwick to fill his slot when Pakistan visit Lord’s next month.
Captain Alastair Cook won the toss and added another 85 runs to his Test tally of 10,000-plus but, until Bairstow did his stuff, England were far from convincing.
Alex Hales struggled for fluency and his patience finally evaporated when a huge heave against Rangana Herath succeeded only in edging the ball to slip.
It is the fourth time in four innings this series that Hales has been dismissed by a left-arm spinner.
There was a failure, too, for Joe Root, who missed an attempted clip through mid-wicket and was leg before on review. James Vince had his off bail trimmed by a beauty from Nuwan Pradeep.
Having been 56-0, England were wobbling at 84-4.
Cook and Bairstow put on 80 for the fifth wicket and nothing looked more certain than Cook’s 29th Test ton — until he fell lbw to Pradeep.
Moeen Ali helped in a 63-run liaison for the sixth wicket before being snaffled at slip and Chris Woakes kept Bairstow company as he celebrated his century.
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