IND vs ENG Test 2021: Jos Buttler Likely To Return to England Squad Ahead of Final Match
England Test skipper Joe Root said that Buttler's career in the purest format is far from being over. Root said that Buttler remains an integral part of the Three Lions' Test setup. Buttler's daughter's arrival on Thursday morning potentially hands England a selection headache ahead of the final Test.
New Delhi, Sep 6: Wicketkeeper batsman Jos Buttler is all set to return to the England squad for the fifth and final Test against India, starting Friday in Manchester, following the birth of his second child, Margot.
Buttler played the first three matches in Nottingham, Lord's and Leeds, but missed the Oval Test to be with his wife, Louise, leaving the gloves with Jonny Bairstow and prompting speculation that his England future would consist of white-ball cricket.
However, England Test skipper Joe Root said that Buttler's career in the purest format is far from being over. Root said that Buttler remains an integral part of the Three Lions' Test setup. Team India’s Head Coach Ravi Shastri To Miss Fifth Test Against England in Manchester, Will Remain in Isolation for 14 Days.
"I don't see this being the end of Jos' Test career at all. I see someone that is desperate to perform well in the Test arena. I think he loves the Test game and he's a big part of our team. As far as I'm concerned, I hope it's a really memorable week for him and it will be great whenever he is available to play again," Root was quoted as saying in a virtual press conference.
But Buttler's daughter's arrival on Thursday morning potentially hands England a selection headache ahead of the final Test, reports Daily Mail. IND vs ENG 4th Test 2021: Nasser Hussain Says Rishabh Pant Showed He Is Capable of Batting in More Than One Style.
"In Buttler's absence Ollie Pope returned and hit 81, his highest Test score for 18 innings. Bairstow is back where he feels he belongs: behind the stumps and batting at No 6. The other possibility is that Buttler does not make the final XI, having averaged just 14 in the first three Tests against India, with a top score of 25," it said. Pace bowler Saqib Mahmood could be an injury doubt for the fifth Test after pulling up with an apparent side strain playing for Lancashire.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 06, 2021 01:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).