by Ben Foakes is set to regain the gloves of Jonny Bairstow when England’s Test series in India begins on Thursday.
During England’s clean session on Monday in Hyderabad, Foakes kept wicket, with Bairstow at first slip. It was the clearest sign yet that the pair will play together in India after Harry Brook returned home for personal reasons, which helped pave the way for England to pick both keepers in the same side.
If Foakes is recalled as wicket-keeper, Bairstow is now expected to be deployed as a specialist middle-order batsman, with a possible return to No. 5.
Foakes, regarded as one of the best keepers in the world, was controversially left out of last summer’s Ashes series, as Sports telegraph first revealed. After scoring six Test decades as a specialist batsman in 2022, Bairstow regained the gloves when he returned from a broken leg.
The debate continued about who should be kept for England. Bairstow enjoyed a good Ashes series with the bat, averaging 40.3 and hitting 99* at Old Trafford, but missed a series of crucial chances behind the stumps, particularly at the start of the series early in his return. Last season Foakes helped Surrey retain the County Championship, averaging 39.8 in another fine campaign.
Said Bob Taylor, one of England’s greatest ever stewards Sports telegraph last week that Foakes should keep in India. “I’ll go with Ben in India, where you spend all day in the heat and humidity,” Taylor said.
Retention is seen as extremely important in India because of the difficulty of keeping spinners while turning wickets. Despite being left out for the Ashes, Foakes was brought back into the squad for the tour of India ahead of younger alternatives such as Durham’s Ollie Robinson and fellow Surrey keeper Jamie Smith.
Foakes was already heavily indebted to win a place in the England 11 before the news about Brook. With Foakes recalled, England would have to face a choice between picking Bairstow, Brook and vice-captain Ollie Pope as a specialist batsman. But Brook’s absence has simplified England’s middle-order dilemma.
When the India squad was revealed last month, Rob Key, England’s managing director, said that no decision had yet been made on who would keep wicket. Key said the decision would depend on “the balance of the side, all sorts of things, all sorts of contributing factors. It’s obviously a different place to keep than in England.”
Although his batting pedigree is not as impressive as Bairstow’s, Foakes has a strong record with the bat in Test cricket, averaging 32.2 in 20 matches. Foakes is a talented spin player, scoring a century on Test debut in Sri Lanka in 2018, although he averages just 15.6 in three Tests in India in 2021. His Test strike rate of 49 is not as fast than England’s approach under Ben Stokes. and Brendan McCullum. “I’m not a Bazball, so to speak,” Foakes said last year.
Ahead of the opening Test, McCullum declared that “our thoughts are with Harry and his family,” following his departure for personal reasons. The England Test coach also confirmed that Brook could still return to the squad to play a role later in the five-Test series. “When he says he might be ready, when that conversation starts happening, cool it. If that doesn’t happen that’s fine too.”
McCullum also defended the team’s decision to train in Abu Dhabi, rather than having any warm-up games in India.
“I was coming across the top of it a little bit with my golf swing so I was hitting left to right,” McCullum said.
“It’s been a great week. Of course it’s no secret that we also want to enjoy ourselves as a team, and obviously those things outside of cricket are hugely important to this side. Many of our messages are consistent, not just around the cricket pitch but around everyday life and that includes enjoying yourself.
“The preparation was brilliant. Abu Dhabi Cricket has done a great job, their facilities out there are as good as anywhere in the world. They give us the freedom to create the kind of pitches and outfits that we want and the boys, we walked out of Abu Dhabi with huge confidence that we prepared as well as we can.”
Indian superstar Virat Kohli has withdrawn from the first two Tests due to personal reasons. Kohli averages 60.1 at home in Test cricket, and hit 235 against England in Mumbai in 2016. KL Rahul is expected to bat at number four instead, leaving the gloves, and is likely to keeper KS Bharat entered.
McCullum is confident that captain Ben Stokes, who fought in the nest in Hyderabad, will play as a specialist batsman.
“He looks like a hound. It is touching fit. He has put in the hard work, and everyone knows his ethics are great. I saw him running around and I think he’s good to go. Obviously we’ll make that call as late as we need to.”
England’s preparations were dealt a blow as Shoaib Bashir, the 20-year-old uncapped spinner, was unable to fly to India due to a visa delay. Bashir was born in Surrey and holds a British passport. The delay is believed to be due to his Pakistani heritage, and has followed visa delays for a number of players with a Pakistani background in recent years.
“Everyone is doing what they can,” McCullum said. It’s a process we have to go through. We are pretty confident that we are close.
“Bash’s time with the squad in Abu Dhabi, where he fitted in with ease, will go a long way with him. We’ve also got him a bit of support so he’s not alone. We expect the news to come through today [Monday] that his visa is approved, then we will have to insert his teeth into this row.”
