Experienced England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler is all set to return to the England squad for the fifth and final Test against India in Manchester, as per the news of the Daily Mail. Notably, he had left the Test squad before the fourth Test at the Oval to attend the birth of his second child.
However, Buttler was blessed with a baby girl, Margot, on Thursday. And, with his inclusion, their middle-order woes might get solved as well. Meanwhile, in his absence, Jonny Bairstow kept the wicket.
đď¸ 5th Sept: Jos Baby is here! đś
Welcome to the #RoyalsFamily, Maggie. đ pic.twitter.com/s3EHHVFfH4
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) September 5, 2021
“I don’t see this being the end of Jos Buttler’s Test career at all” – Joe Root
On the other hand, Ollie Pope also maintained his fine form by top-scoring in the first innings as well. While recently talking about Jos Buttler, skipper Joe Root has shared his views in a virtual press conference ahead of the fourth Test.
He said: “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.”
With Pope’s form in the middle order and Bairstow too doing well, the situation might go against Jos Buttler, who himself has been going through a rough patch.
We have been set a target of 368 to win the fourth Test.
Scorecard/Clips: https://t.co/RnNQR7CVuB
đ´ó §ó ˘ó Ľó Žó §ó ż #ENGvIND đŽđł pic.twitter.com/aDgX2JxYMm
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 5, 2021
However, Jos Buttler has an average of 14 in the series against India. He started with an 18-ball duck at Trent Bridge as well. Moreover, apart from the captain Joe Root, other batsmen are way too inconsistent which are certainly affect the team.
Along with this, there are a few injury concerns also in the squad where the pacer Saqib Mahmood is under the scanner for the fifth Test after suffering a side strain while playing for Lancashire.
Meanwhile, Jos Buttler has already announced that he would not take part in the second phase of the IPL in the UAE. And, the franchise has signed Glenn Phillips as the replacement for the rest of the tournament.
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