England vs India 2021: Jos Buttler Will Be Back As Vice-Captain And Will Keep Wickets In Manchester, States Joe Root
Published - 09 Sep 2021, 01:15 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:53 AM
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England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler will return to the team to play the fifth Test against India at Old Trafford in Manchester, England skipper Joe Root confirmed.
Buttler, who missed the fourth Test at The Oval because of the birth of his second child, will take back the duties of donning the gloves and the role of the team’s vice-captain.
Jos Buttler will be back as vice-captain and he will keep wickets: Joe Root
Although, the stylish and explosive batsman hasn’t scored enough runs this series- 72 from five innings at an average of 14.4- yet the wicket-keeper gets full support from his captain. Root has said that Buttler is an integral part of the team.
“Jos (Buttler) is the vice-captain of the team. He is integral to what we are about. I know his output, in terms of runs, hasn’t been as high as he would have liked, but we know what a great player he is. Jos will be back as vice-captain and he will keep wickets,” Root said ahead of England’s training session at Old Trafford on Wednesday, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
Moeen Ali is our first spinner: Joe Root
Moeen Ali, who took the role of England’s vice-captain in the fourth Test in Buttler’s absence, will be played as the first-choice spinner at Old Trafford and left-arm spinner Jack Leach, who is yet to feature in this series, remains in contention.
“I’d say that Moeen Ali is our first spinner. I’ve not seen the pitch yet, but it can spin at Old Trafford and the option of two spinners is something we have to look at,” Root said.
“Jack has done some fine things for England. We all know what he is capable of and we know he is a fine player. I’m sure Jack will be desperate to take the opportunity,” he added.
Joe Root to seek medical team advice on James Anderson and Ollie Robinson’s inclusion for the final Test
England’s new-ball pair in this series, James Anderson and Ollie Robinson have picked the most wickets for the team with the latter leading the charts with 21 wickets amongst both sides. There was an injury concern for the 39-year-old Anderson, who was seen bowling with a bleeding knee in the fourth Test.
Root has said that he and the team management will seek the advice of the medical team and personally interact with both the players to know about their capacity to play in the final Test.
“That’s something we will weigh up over the next couple of days. These two days are really important for recovery and making sure that they are in a position to play Test cricket,” Root said.
“One thing you have to do is trust the medical advice that’s been given. Also, speak to the players that know their own bodies better than anyone.
“You never want to go into a Test match playing someone under risk of injury. You want to do the best thing for the player but also you don’t want to go into a Test match and someone goes down injured and you have got one less bowler at your disposal,” he concluded.
England are 1-2 behind India in the five-match Test series and will look to bounce back to share the series.
