In-form Foakes gets nod as keeper for second Lanka Test

Root takes the call even as Bairstow recovers from injury

Acentury on debut and tidy performance behind the stumps has ensured that Ben Foakes will retain the wicketkeeper’s position for the second Test against Sri Lanka, captain Joe Root has said.

With Jonny Bairstow nursing an ankle injury, Foakes stepped into the role in the first Test and seized his opportunity with a Man-of-the-Match performance, scoring 107 in his debut innings.

England won the match at Galle by 211 runs, with Foakes’s first innings knock crucial after they had slumped to 103 for five on the first day.

The wicketkeeper was last man out, having combined with the lower middle order and bowlers for an additional 239 runs. “Ben is going to keep,” Root said in comments ahead of the second Test in Pallekele starting today.

“We’ve come to Sri Lanka to win this tour. And in these conditions, I think Ben is the best option behind the stumps.

“It’s a great opportunity for Ben to show his ability and I think you’ve got to reward a performance like last week.”

Bairstow has returned to training but Root did not say whether he would have been available. British media have reported that he did not take part in any activities that could have aggravated the ankle injury. Root said his Yorkshire teammate Bairstow, who has strengthened England’s lowermiddle order with his batting and worked hard on his wicketkeeping, still had a role to play in the Test side.