No change in plan, Bairstow to join team for third and fourth Test
CHENNAI: England’s assistant batting coach Graham Thorpe said on Friday that Jonny Bairstow will join the squad after the first Test against India, but the official England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) media team later confirmed that the plan is still for the batsman to return for the third and fourth Test.
The England selectors and team management faced huge criticism for resting the batsman for the first two Tests against India, which will be played in Chennai. Thorpe defended the team’s decision to rest Bairstow for the first two Tests given the bio-bubble situation forced by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Every individual case is different. They are managing the amount of time in the environment. The T20 World Cup, which is coming up, got the IPL tournament as well where players gain a lot of experience. I suppose Jonny is on a white-ball contract at the moment as well but he is coming back in after the first Test back into the squad,” Thorpe said in the virtual press conference.
But the ECB media team later sent out a message saying: “To clarify, the plan is still for Jonny Bairstow to return for the third and fourth Test and not the second Test. Along with Sam Curran and Mark Wood.” Former England captain Michael Vaughan had lashed out at England selectors for resting Bairstow as he ‘plays spin well’. “Surely @jbairstow21 stays with the Test team for the start of the #India series ... makes no sense that a player who has only just got his Test place back & plays spin is well is resting !!!! #SLvENG !!#OnOn,” Vaughan
ON DEBUT
The International Cricket Council has selected the pair of Anil Chaudhary and Virender Sharma to stand alongside umpire Nitin Menon in the first two Tests between India and England.
The first Test of the fourmatch series will begin at the MA Chidambaram Stadium from February 5 while the second game will be played at the same venue from February 13.
According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, both Chaudhary and Sharma will make their debut in the longest format of the game, having officiated in 20 and two ODIs respectively.
The 37-year-old Menon, who is the only Indian official on ICC’s Elite Panel, will be officiating in his fourth Test match. Chaudhary will be the on-field umpire for the opening Test, with Sharma replacing him in the second.
Moreover, former Indian fast bowler Javagal Srinath, who has 551 international wickets, will be the match referee for England’s tour of India.
In June 2020, ICC had temporarily removed neutral umpires owing to the logistical challenges with international travel. Last month, West Indies Test skipper Jason Holder had said that he does not understand the situation where players can travel overseas and quarantine, but the umpires cannot do the same.
During the second Test against Australia, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah had backed the idea of having a neutral umpire in a bilateral series. Bumrah said the situations amid the pandemic are difficult and he completely understands it, but it is unfortunate that umpires cannot travel like players for the bilateral series or tournaments.
Meanwhile, England’s touring contingent and the India squad is in Chennai and undergoing quarantine. They will start training for the first Test from Tuesday.
Ganguly doing well
KOLKATA: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly has been shifted to a private room from the critical care unit and he is doing well, said the medical bulletin issued by Apollo Gleneagles Hospital on Friday.
“Sourav Ganguly has been examined by Dr. Aftab Khan and Dr. Ashwin Mehta. He is doing well. He has been shifted to a private room from the critical care unit,” the medical bulletin read.
On Thursday, Ganguly underwent a second round of angioplasty and two stents were inserted in coronary arteries.
“Dr Aftab Khan and the team comprising Dr Ashwin Mehta, Dr Devi Shetty, Dr Ajit Desai, Dr Saroj Mondal, and Dr Saptarshi Basu successfully performed angioplasty on Sourav Ganguly on January 28, 2021, and two stents were placed,” said the medical bulletin on Thursday.