Just as we all start to get excited about Ben Foakes finally getting a run in the test team at the age of 29, I ask the question, will he?
Both Bairstow and Foakes are in the test squad, the latter coming off a 100 in his last test and I think it is feasible that he fills the keeper’s position.
Foakes is clearly the better keeper, probably the best in the world. He is also a better batsmen, both in my opinion and statistically than Buttler or Billings.
However, he is not a better batsman than Jonny Bairstow, and this is an England team in serious need of runs. Having Stokes at no6 and Bairstow at no7 would add depth and a fear factor to a usually timid batting group.
Since Bairstow was dropped in summer 2019 after the home Ashes he has essentially been used as a spare batsman, being plugged into various holes in England’s test match batting dam, but essentially failing to hold back the torrent of water that is England’s underperformance.
In this 2-year Silverwood/Root reign he has registered one century and averages under 30. This should not be a surprise, Jonny has played 31 tests as a specialist batsman and averaged 29 with 2 centuries. However, as a wicket keeper he has played 49 tests averaging 37 with 5 centuries.
Bairstow sees himself as a keeper, an allrounder, if you look at Stokes when he plays as a specialist batsman, he is less effective. The same applies here.
It is also noteworthy that his test average is the same home and away, and he actually has more hundreds away from home (Australia, Sri Lanka and South Africa).
Curiously his “rival” Jos Buttler actually has a better record in test cricket when not keeping, but common sense and facts should never get in the way of test match selection.
Over the last 2 years, Joe Root averages 53 with 7 centuries and Ben Stokes 37 with 2 centuries. No one else gets close:
In fact, no player picked in the top 7 over that period of time averages as much as Bairstow’s career test average, let alone his 37 when keeping.
I know that many point to his declining numbers in 2019, this is correct, and he was rightly left out. Now he is back, fresh off a second century in Australia (Root has none, Stokes one) at 32 years of age 80 tests into his career, has there ever been a better time to embrace Jonny?
The talk is of Root batting at no3 and Stokes going up to 4 – Id argue that Stokes and Bairstow at 6 and 7 averaging 37 as test match allrounders is exactly the depth we need.
Pick 5 batsmen above them, and 4 bowlers behind them but they’re our great strength in the middle order.