Bairstow takes a hard route back
JONNY BAIRSTOW has lifted the lid on the strict and punishing quarantine conditions he is facing in order to be available for the third and fourth Tests.
The England batsman, right, missed the opening two matches in Chennai to have two weeks at home.
But the price he must pay is a further six days in a windowless room in India, producing negative Covid tests until he can rejoin the squad. Bairstow said: “The bubbles are very tough.
You’re not allowed out of the hotels and not really allowed to spend much time with each other because if one person gets it then you’re classed as a close contact so then you’d have to self-isolate for 10 days as well.
“You’re confined to certain areas of the hotel. So it can be tricky at times and it can be exhausting as well mentally. “Unfortunately, there’s no window or anything like that to get any fresh air in. It gets quite hot in Indian hotel rooms too, as you can imagine.”
Bairstow will consider it all worthwhile should he return to the side in Ahmedabad.
He is one of the squad’s best players of spin and, with Ben Foakes keeping wicket so well, he said: “I’m just focusing on my batting.
“If the chance comes again to keep wicket then so be it, but Ben Foakes has kept really well in this game and we know how good he is with the gloves.”
ORIOL ROMEU has demanded a complete shake-up over the way penalties are given for handball.
Southampton suffered a game-changing call in the home defeat by Wolves when Ryan Bertrand was penalised after the ball hit his hand from close range when his back was turned. But
Wolves defender Leander Dendoncker escaped punishment in another incident. Saints midfielder Romeu, left, said: “To make it easier for referees, they want to put all the situations on paper. “But it’s football. It is endless in terms of options. VAR should be to help referees, not to give things that weren’t given before.”
WHERE IT HAS GONE WRONG FOR REDS
Virgil van Dijk
Losing their defensive talisman, below, for probably the season in the derby at Goodison in October always looked like being a mountain to overcome. And so it has proved, especially when compounded by the long-term loss of Joe Gomez while on England duty. Joel Matip also having his injury struggles has resulted in first Fabinho and then Jordan Henderson being dragged into defence to plug the gaps.
Alisson
His credentials as a world-class keeper are not in doubt but neither is his penchant for dropping clangers and the past few games have highlighted that, particularly in the crucial showdown against Manchester City. Liverpool had to win to get back in the title race, but two costly mistakes in a few minutes put paid to those hopes.
Goals
In winning the title last season, Liverpool scored 85 goals in 38 games at an average of 2.24 per game. This season, they have 45 in 24 outings, an average of 1.88. Because they are leaking goals due to the problems in central defence, a lack of goals at the other end is even more of a problem. In 24 matches, they have conceded 32 times – just one fewer than in the whole of last season. Mo Salah has 17 league goals and 23 in all, but Sadio Mane (7), Roberto Firmino (6) and Diogo Jota (5) are the best of the rest and that will not cut it.
Diogo Jota
Just as their new signing was getting into his stride and pushing others to up their game, he injured a knee in early December and has not played in more than two months.