England’s Bairstow to keep wicket against India at the Oval

(Reuters) - Jonny Bairstow will keep wicket for England in the fifth and final test against India after recovering from a broken middle finger, the England and Wales Cricket Board said yesterday.

The 28-year-old, who sustained the injury in the Trent Bridge test last month, played as a specialist batsman in England’s fourth test victory at Southampton, with Jos Buttler standing in as his wicketkeeping replacement.

After taking an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series, England have named an unchanged team for the match at The Oval, which begins on Friday.

“We are very fortunate to be in a position where we have two quality keepers,” England captain Joe Root told a news conference.

“More than anything, they both want us to win games of cricket. There have been no issues or problems in that department.”

All-rounder Moeen Ali will continue to bat at number three, where he was promoted ahead of Root in the fourth test. Alastair Cook, England’s all-time leading scorer, will play his final test before he retires from international cricket.

The former captain will bring down the curtain on a 12-year international career by playing his 161st test and 159th in a row.

England XI: Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Moeen Ali, Joe Root (captain), Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson.