Jonny Bairstow has been rested for the first two Tests against India.
The England cricket team has completed a 2-0 clean sweep against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka before heading to India to play all three formats. The tour will begin with the 4 Tests followed by the limited-overs series.
England has made a rather surprising call of resting Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, and Mark Wood for the first two Tests, to be played in Chennai. Also, Jos Buttler will be available for only the first Test, going by England management's rotation policy keeping the life in bio-bubble in mind.
It has not gone down well with former England captain Michael Vaughan, who criticized the England selectors for keeping Bairstow out.
Michael Vaughan expressed his disappointment on Twitter saying that Bairstow, who plays spin well, has just found his Test spot back and should have been with England for the first two Tests against India to be played in Chennai.
Vaughan tweeted, “Surely @jbairstow21 stays with the Test team for the start of the #India series ... makes no sense that a player who has only just got his Test place back & plays spin is well is resting !!!! #SLvENG !! #OnOn”
Surely @jbairstow21 stays with the Test team for the start of the #India series ... makes no sense that a player who has only just got his Test place back & plays spin is well is resting !!!! #SLvENG !! #OnOn
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) January 25, 2021
Earlier, Vaughan had put out a similar tweet about Bairstow being rested.
He wrote, "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"
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
Bairstow scored a total of 139 runs in two Tests against Sri Lanka on turning tracks at Galle in the past couple of weeks.
He returned with scores of 47 in the first innings and 35 not out in the second innings of the first Test. The 31-year-old looked comfortable in the second Test as well but could score only 28 and 29 in the two innings.
England and India will now lock horns in the first Test in Chennai from February 5.
(ANI inputs)