Joe Root says Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow can improve through battle to keep wicket
Thursday 30 August 2018 11:35, UK
England captain Joe Root is hopeful Jos Buttler's opportunity to take the gloves after regular wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow fractured his finger will provide healthy competition between the pair.
Bairstow, who was injured while keeping to Anderson in India's second innings during the third Test at Trent Bridge, will play as a specialist batsman at No 4 in the fourth Test at the Ageas Bowl, with Buttler taking over the mantle as wicketkeeper.
Despite the wicketkeeper-batter having been keen to remain behind the stumps, Root explained it was a decision the medical team had made and hoped Bairstow would take his chance batting at number four.
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"He is fully aware that it is a lot to ask him to keep with a fractured finger," the England skipper said. "He's frustrated and disappointed, he loves doing the job and has done well doing it in the last couple of years.
"That is the art of international sport, you don't always get what you want and hopefully he uses it in the right way to drive his game forward and continue to work really at [the batting] side of his game.
"There is no guarantees in international sport, it has opened up the door for someone else and we have seen in the white-ball stuff at the top of the order guys keep coming in and making it very difficult for someone else to make their way back in if they have got injuries.
"Hopefully this is a great chance for these two guys (Bairstow and Buttler) to keep pushing each other to improve and take their games to the next level.
A shake-up in the batting line-up has come as a result of Bairstow's promotion up to four, at the expense of Ollie Pope, with Buttler coming in at five, Ben Stokes at six and the recalled Moeen Ali - who replaces the injured Chris Woakes - fitting in at seven.
With the hosts having only once reached 100 before being four wickets down in their five innings so far in this series, Root believes the rest of the team can take a leaf out of Buttler and Stokes' books after their 169-run fifth-wicket stand during the second innings in Nottingham.
And the 27-year-old Sheffield-born batsman feels the promotion up the order for the pair is justified after the manner of both their knocks.
"The way Jos and Ben batted at five and six in the second innings, rightly so they should be given the opportunity to do that again," Root explained.
"It was a fine partnership and a great example to the rest of the guys of how to play Test cricket in difficult circumstance. Ultimately that was a really good lesson for the rest of the group coming in to this week.
"I feel it gives us great depth in our batting with Moeen coming in at seven, with the runs that he's got in the last couple of weeks - even though that was a three for Worcestershire - whenever he has played for England he has normally performed at his best at seven."
Alastair Cook's struggle for runs at the top of the order during the series has contributed to England's consistent collapses during the series, with the former England captain managing a top score of 29 so far.
With his place seemingly under pressure parallels have been drawn to the 95 Cook scored again India in Southampton during their last tour four years ago, under similar circumstances.
Recollecting the dressing room's delight at the return to form for the then captain in 2014, Root believes the opener will soon return to form with the bat.
"I remember sat in the dressing room almost a little emotional for Cook because that was the feeling from within the group," Root expressed. "How much he meant and means to the squad.
"We are all fully aware of what he is capable of doing and I think it was nice for to have the support heard from outside the four walls of the dressing room. I think that was a big week for him (in 2014) in turning around where his game was at.
"He has always liked playing here (in Southampton) so hopefully we can see some big runs from him again. Whenever he is sort of backed into a corner he has come out and does something rather special."
Cook and England's troubles have not just come with the bat but also in the slips - with the team having put down 15 catches in the cordon across the first three Tests.
To make matters worse, the home side have put down prolific runscorer, Indian captain Virat Kohli four times at a cost of 142 damaging runs.
Admitting that recovering from putting down a take in the slips is incredibly difficult, Root explained that he and Stokes - as two of England's best catchers - will return in the corridor for the fourth Test.
"We need to start taking some chances," he said. "It has been tough for the guys in there and I think we (Root and Stokes) are the most experienced players to go in a do that.
"We have fielded a lot there before and probably the hardest thing to get your head around in Test cricket is dealing with when you've dropped one and it's easier to asked the experienced guys that have done a lot more to handle it better.
"Although we have not necessarily been at our best in the last year-and-a-half ourselves we are still very good fielders in that position and hopefully we can have a good week and take the chances first time around,"
Meanwhile, Indian captain Kohli may be about to name an unchanged side for the first time in 38 matches in charge of India.
After an impressive all-round performance from the team in the victory at Trent Bridge, especially from his seam bowlers who took 19 of the 20 wickets, the away side's skipper does not see the need for any change.
However, although the pace bowlers have impressed throughout the series, Kohli does not feel an out-and-out seam attack would suit the Southampton pitch.
"If it was a pitch like Johannesburg we would have no problem playing an all-out pace attack but I don't think this pitch is anywhere close to that so I doubt an all pace attack is the right option," he said.
"Last time we played here spinners came in to play in the second innings. The surface is pretty hard so once it wears out and there could be big footmarks, so spinners can get a lot in the second innings.
"It's not always been the case of changes (in the team) there have been injuries as well, which has not been taken in to consideration. Seeing things as we do now, we don't feel we have to change anything."
