28 September 2023 , 18:41
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Jonny Bairstow cut a frustrated figure as England's trip to India for the Cricket World Cup lasted more than 38 hours.
Jos Buttler's side set off on Wednesday ahead of their opening World Cup game against New Zealand - a repeat of the 2019 final - on October 5. England secured a 48-run victory over Ireland in a warm-up match at Trent Bridge, a matter of days after beating New Zealand 3-1 in a four-match ODI series.
However, it is safe to say England's journey was not the smoothest. Bairstow provided an update on his Instagram account and fumed with his side still on the plane - despite taking off over 38 hours ago. The 34-year-old posted a photo which included the England squad and members of the public.
Bairstow also branded the trip as "utter chaos", as well as saying "last leg incoming... been some trip," followed by the laughing face emoji. He then added "38 hours and counting..." and the time, which was 21:21 local time. It is unknown where the England team are at this stage as they prepare to land in India.
England are set to face India in another warm-up match before they entertain New Zealand next Thursday - and Matthew Mott's team will be hoping they can end their preparations with a win. The defending champions are the fifth-best ranked team in the world behind India, Pakistan, Australia and South Africa.
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If they manage to get to the final, England will have had to clock some miles along the way. England play eight of their nine group stage matches at different venues, with Chennai and Hyderabad the only places they won’t visit. They will make the trips Dharamsala, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Pune and Kolkata, never spending more than a few days in each city.
Jonny Bairstow's England face New Zealand in their World Cup opener next Thursday (Getty Images)Speaking ahead of the tournament, England coach Mott said: "We're close but it's still a while away. And we don't know how guys will pull up, [it is] a quick turnaround when we land in India. We've got a rough idea, then it's about opposition, whether we go batter-heavy, bowler-heavy. The squad we have picked gives us great flexibility.
"I do [expect to use more than 13], because of the venues, the travel, certain players thrive, others don't go so well. That's why when you pick the squad, you do a lot of 'what if?' scenarios."