England will look to pump Jonny Bairstow’s tyres up before the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford next week, after keeping faith with the under‑fire wicketkeeper in an unchanged squad.
Bairstow’s role behind the stumps has come under increasing scrutiny during this impossibly tight series, with three dropped catches in the three-wicket win against Australia at Headingley furthering fears that the dual role is too great a burden so soon after his broken leg last year.
However, having clawed the series scoreline back to a 2-1 deficit with two Tests to play, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have opted to work on Bairstow’s confidence rather than send for Surrey’s Ben Foakes. The question now, as England try to set up a grand finale at the Oval, is who bats where and which seamer comes into the bowling attack.
As was the case last week, when Ollie Pope was ruled out of the summer with a dislocated shoulder, no extra batting cover has been added beyond the unused Dan Lawrence. Harry Brook moved to Pope’s No 3 berth in the first innings in Leeds, before Moeen Ali volunteered for the role in the day-four run chase and Brook dropped down to his preferred role at No 5.
Moeen has told the management he is ready to repeat this, booking additional net sessions against the new ball during the nine-day break. Stokes and McCullum – England’s captain and head coach – have a decision to make with Brook’s move away from the new ball helping the 24‑year‑old right-hander to hit a match‑winning 75 on Sunday.
Ollie Robinson has been retained in the squad despite back spasms on day one at Headingley that left him a passenger in the main. It would represent a risk to play the 29‑year‑old again so soon, however, with Jimmy Anderson and Josh Tongue seemingly vying for the final place if England stick to five bowlers.
England squad for the fourth Ashes Test Ben Stokes (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wkt), Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
