IT’S A THIN LINE BETWEEN GLOVE & MATE
Root warns pal Bairstow he may not be England’s wicketkeeper again as he gets ruthless in bid to halt India’s momentum
JOE ROOT has given Jonny Bairstow “no guarantees and no assurances” that he will be England’s wicketkeeper again after telling him to play as a specialist batsman.
A cracked finger is the reason for the switch to Jos Buttler this week, but it could become the status quo if Root’s ruthless selections for the fourth Test give him the results he wants. The England skipper (below) has kicked personal agendas, preferences and egos into touch by picking a team that, he reckons, will give them the best shot of stopping India’s momentum from Trent Bridge in its tracks. And, far from resembling the “little boy” as described by Ricky Ponting over the winter, Root spoke with authority and clarity when explaining how he has shaped his team. “With a slight fracture, the safest thing to do is for Jonny to play just as a batter,” said Root. “He is fit to bat and will bat at No.4 this week. “He’s fully aware that it’s a lot to ask him to keep with a broken finger. He’s obviously frustrated and disappointed. He loves doing the job. “He’s done extremely well over the last couple of years, but that’s part of international sport. You don’t always get what you want. “He didn’t seem fit to be able to keep in a Test for five days. And that was the call that was made. “Ultimately we have to do the best thing for this team to win this game. “There are no guarantees in international sport. It has opened the door for someone else. “Jos has an opportunity for this game and potentially the rest of the series – we’ll have to see.” After dealing with his keepers, Root then turned his attentions to another switch in the batting line-up, with young Ollie Pope being left out after just two matches for Moeen Ali who has been in fine form for Worcestershire. With Ben Stokes unable to bowl his full complement of overs due to a niggle, Moeen strengthens both sides of the game. And, with Sam Curran replacing the injured Chris Woakes, India will be by far the more settled side as they play the same XI for the first time in 45 matches. Root added: “Ollie Pope’s gone back to his county and what you want from international players is to go back and sort of prove a point and stand out. That’s exactly what Moeen has done” It is four years since Alastair Cook hit 95 on the same ground against the same opposition to get himself out of a bad run of form. And, after his tough talk the current captain showed a softer side in hoping for more of that. “It was brilliant, wasn’t it?” said Root. “I’d love the same again.”