England wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow has not been included in the England squad for the first two Tests against India. The ECB announced a 15-member squad for the first two Tests a week earlier. Jos Buttler and Ben Foakes were the two specialist wicketkeepers in the side, while Bairstow was ignored. Meanwhile, former England skipper Michael Vaughan has recently reacted to his absence from the Test squad. The first Test begins in Chennai from February 5.
Taking to Twitter, Michael Vaughan vented out his anger at the England and Wales Cricket Board. “The only player in England’s Top 3 that’s playing the sub-continent conditions with any control or calmness is resting for the first 2 Tests against the best Team in world at home #India !!! The world is officially mad …,” Vaughan wrote in a tweet.
Michael Vaughan on Jonny Bairstow
The only player in England’s Top 3 that’s playing the sub continent conditions with any control or calmness is resting for the first 2 Tests against the best Team in world at home #India !!! The world is officially mad … #SLvENG
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) January 23, 2021
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Citing Bairstow’s ability to bat well in the subcontinent conditions, Michael Vaughan explained why dropping him is not an ideal move for the visitors. Bairstow was in the England squad which clean swept Sri Lanka in the two-Test match series at Galle recently. The wicket-keeper batsman looked in control in the Asian conditions and scored 47, 35 in the two innings of the first Test. In the second Test, Bairstow managed to get scores of 28 and 29 in the two innings.
Jonny Bairstow plays in the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad. He is a good player of spin and has enough experience of playing in Indian pitches and conditions, Therefore the ECB”s move to exclude him from England’s Test squad for India series surprised him.
England squad for first two Tests vs India
Joe Root (captain), Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes
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