English cricketer Jonny Bairstow had a very tough time with the bat during the recently concluded home Ashes 2019. The selectors are thinking to give him rest from the Test wicketkeeping duty to find his Test batting form.
Jonny Bairstow was one of the consistent run-scorers in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019. He was the second most run-scorer for England and the sixth most overall run-scorer in that tournament. The right-handed batsman scored 532 runs in 11 innings of that tournament with an average of 48.36. He hit two consecutive centuries and two more half-centuries in that tournament. His batting played an important role for England to win their first-ever Cricket World Cup trophy.
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Jonny Bairstow had an average of 23.77 in Ashes 2019
However, the picture was totally different in the Ashes 2019. Playing as a wicketkeeper-batsman in the recent home Ashes series, Bairstow scored 214 runs in 10 innings with an average of 23.77. Apart from one half-century, he managed to reach the 30-run mark only twice more in the Ashes 2019.
Since last February, Bairstow has returned to the Test wicketkeeping role but his Test batting performances have declined hugely. As a Test wicketkeeper-batsman, Bairstow has scored only 216 runs in 13 innings (average 18.00) in this calendar year. He scored two ducks during the Lord’s Test against Ireland in last July.
In the CWC 2019, Bairstow played only as an opening batsman. But in the recent Test matches, he served as a wicketkeeper-batsman.
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Observing the present deteriorating Test batting performances, the selectors are thinking to give Bairstow rest from the Test wicketkeeping role. In late November, England will play their next Test series against the hosts New Zealand. Bairstow can play this series only as a batsman.
Ben Foakes can return as Test wicketkeeper
Meanwhile, Ben Foakes can return to the Test squad for the wicketkeeping role. In November 2018, during the Sri Lanka tour, Foakes made his Test debut. He scored a century (107 runs) on his debutant Test innings at Galle. The 26-year-old has played five Tests where he has scored 332 runs with an average of 41.50.
In the Sri Lanka tour, Foakes finished as the leading run-scorer in the Test series (277 runs in six innings with an average of 69.25). He won the Player of the Series award at the end of that Test series. Later, in January 2019, he scored 55 runs in four innings during the Test series in West Indies tour.