England captain Joe Root has said on Wednesday that they will decide over the next few days that pacers James Anderson and Ollie Robinson are fit to play the next Test match at Manchester.
“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. 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 anyon”,” said Root in a virtual interaction.
“You don’t want to go into a Test match playing someone under risk of injury. You want to make sure 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,” added Root.
“There are a number of things to factor in. Of course, we will make sure we are very confident that everyone is fit to take the field and to put in a Test worthy performance well when it comes round to selecting the team for this game,” said Root.
Joe Root also confirmed that Jos Buttler will don back the keeping gloves in the fifth Test match. This also means that either of Jonny Bairstow or Ollie Pope will sit out of the playing XI.
“Jos 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 wicket.”
“I’d say that within this series, there have been half an hour periods in the game where we have not managed it as well as’them and it’s really cost us. We are sat 2-1 down instead of potentially 3-0 up.
“You look at Lord’s in that half an hour with the ball in hand. You look at the spell of bowling from Bumrah. They have really cost us the two games.’
“It is about managing those passages better and finding a way to get through difficult periods as a batting group. Being smarter about how we’re going to go about containing it and getting that lower order are things we need to make sure we get better at and we’re learning about it as the series goes on and over time when we’re in those situations again we’re on the right side of it.”
