Bairstow must nail down batting place as
Vice-captain set to keep wicket in all formats Moeen likely to remain at No3 with Root at four
Jonny Bairstow’s future in the England team looks to be as a specialist batsman, with Jos Buttler likely to keep the wicketkeeping gloves in the long term.
Bairstow handed over keeping duties to Buttler at the Ageas Bowl after breaking his finger at Trent Bridge and the Lancashire player is in line to become the No1 keeper in white- and red-ball cricket.
It is a tough call on Bairstow, who has worked incredibly hard to lift his wicketkeeping since replacing Buttler behind the stumps in the United Arab Emirates in 2016.
After struggling at first, Bairstow became a dependable gloveman. He has also scored all five of his Test hundreds as wicketkeeper.
But Buttler has become an increasingly important figure in the team this summer since his Test recall and was appointed vice-captain before the start of the India series. England like his calm demeanour behind the stumps and believe the position gives him a valuable insight when it comes to advising Joe Root.
It leaves Bairstow contemplating a change of role, batting at five and possibly replacing Alastair Cook at first slip.
Bairstow was clearly unsettled at the Ageas Bowl by comments from Root before the game when he said there was no guarantee he would return as the team’s keeper when fit. He was then bowled for a firstball duck for the second time in three innings, playing a loose drive.
“Unfortunately it is not the first one [poor shot] he has played and he was very honest about that,” said Trevor Bayliss, the England coach. “He said it was a poor shot. He went away the following morning and was working hard before the day’s play with Mark Ramprakash [England batting coach]. He realises he has to do better, as a number of our players do when they miss out. They do not step away from that challenge. They work even harder.”
England will announce the squad for the final Test against India today, with Moeen Ali keeping his place at No3 after agreeing to step up in Southampton when Root used the captain’s prerogative to bat in his favourite position.
Root confirmed after the match that he wanted to remain at four,