Tuesday 22 November 2016 12:01, UK
Jos Buttler will be told to bring his limited-overs brilliance to the Test arena if he wins an England recall for the third Test against India.
Buttler could be brought in to replace the struggling Ben Duckett in Mohali having not played Test cricket in 13 months after being dropped against Pakistan in the UAE last year.
Buttler, who is responsible for England's three fastest ever one-day international hundreds, averages only 30 in Test cricket, but would return as a specialist batsman, with coach Trevor Bayliss keen for him to transfer his white ball game to the five-day format.
"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," he said.
"I think he's starting to get his head around that fact. 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 the 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."
England are 1-0 down in the five-Test series following the 246-run defeat in Visakhapatnam and Duckett looks certain to make way 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-continental pitches.
"Every level you get to, you go up," added 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."
The tourists' batsmen have precious little previous experience of Indian conditions and Bayliss believes, in the circumstances, they have adapted as well as anyone could expect so far.
"It's not just Ben," he said. "Apart from Cooky [captain Alastair Cook], I think Joe Root has maybe had one innings here before - the rest of the batters are all here for the first time, in hostile conditions.
"I think they've done extremely well, learning on the job but learning very quickly."
Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 12 months half price. Hurry, offer ends December 4!
