Buttler likely to earn recall for Mohali Test

Jos Buttler will be under orders to bring his limited-overs brilliance with him – if and when he returns to Test cricket against India.

Buttler appears to be lined up to replace the out-of-sorts Ben Duckett in the third Test in Mohali, as England seek to battle back from a 1-0 deficit after their 246-run defeat in Vizag.

Coach Trevor Bayliss stopped short of confirming that intention, but has made it abundantly clear that if Buttler plays his first Test in 13 months – as a specialist batsman, following his dropping as wicketkeeper against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates last year – England want to see him take the attack to their hosts.

Buttler is responsible for England’s three fastest one-day international hundreds, but in his 15 Tests so far averages only 30.

The time appears to be right nonetheless for a recall following the struggles over England’s last four Tests, in Bangladesh and India, of first Gary Ballance and then Duckett in the No 4 position.

Bayliss said: “The one thing with Jos, if he plays the same way as he does in one-day cricket, I think that’s the way ahead for him, red ball or white ball. I think he’s starting to get his head around that.

“He’s in the top echelon of destructive batters when it comes to white-ball cricket, and there’s no reason – if he can get his head around playing against a red ball – that he can’t do the same and put pressure back on the opposition.

“If someone like Jos is able to do that, it would take a bit of pressure off the rest of the guys.”

Duckett looks set to be taken out of the action after scores of five and nought in his fourth Test, in which it became clear his technique is vulnerable to India’s spinners on sub-continent pitches.

“Every level you get to, you go up,” said Bayliss. “It gets harder and harder, and the step is bigger.

“Ben’s working harder than anyone in the nets to try to fix things up, getting himself into a position that he is confident enough in to score runs.

“I think he’s got a special talent. Whether he plays the next match or not, I think he’ll play a lot more for England.”