Jonny Bairstow major doubt for England in Hobart after another blow to thumb in nets

GEORGE DOBELL IN HOBART: The knock caused him considerable pain and provoked further reflection on whether it was worth risking more serious injury in a series which is already decided

Jonny Bairstow remains a serious injury concern ahead of the final Test of the Ashes in Hobart.

Bairstow sustained a chipped bone in the thumb of his right hand while batting in the fourth Test in Sydney.

While he came through training unscathed on Wednesday, he sustained another blow to the thumb while batting in the nets on Thursday.

The knock caused him considerable pain and provoked further reflection on whether it was worth risking more serious injury in a series which is already decided.

If Bairstow, who made England's only century of the series in the previous game, is deemed unable to play, he will be replaced by Ollie Pope. Pope was dropped after two Tests of the series with an average of 12.

^{Jonny Bairstow suffered another blow to the thumb in the nets on Thursday (Steve Bell/Getty Images)}

It looks very much as if James Anderson won't play in Hobart, either. Playing three Tests in succession and, at times, having to make up the overs not bowled by Ben Stokes and Ollie Robinson, have taken their toll.

He is not injured, as such, but the team management believe he would be unable to perform at his best. After 21 Tests in Australia, he bows out – surely – with an average in the country of 34.01. Since 2017, however, it drops to 26.04.

Stokes, however, is expected to play. He suffered a side strain while bowling in Sydney but produced his two best performances with the bat. He will not bowl in Hobart but is expected to bat at No. 5.

Sam Billings is set to become England's 700th Test cap. He will keep wicket having been called up from the Big Bash. While he has been the designated keeper in only one first-class match since February 2019. He has, however, kept in many limited-overs games.

Jos Buttler, who kept in the first four Tests, has returned to England having sustained a serious finger injury.

^{Ollie Pope could fill in if Bairstow is ruled out (Steve Bell/Getty Images)}

If Pope plays, it will mean England go into the match with five changes from the side that drew the previous Test.

Haseeb Hameed will be dropped for Rory Burns, the spin of Jack Leach is set to miss out to the returning seam bowling of Ollie Robinson and Chris Woakes will replace Anderson.

With the Ashes decided and a whitewash averted the final Test of this Ashes series is, on the face of things, a dead rubber. But with several members of the leadership team facing questions over their future, it is a game which could have some significance to England's future.

Certainly a victory – something no England team has achieved in Australia since January 2011 – would bolster the position of both Chris Silverwood, the head coach, and Ashely Giles, the director of men's cricket.

Another chastening defeat might make their positions even more precarious.

England (likely): Rory Burns, Zak Crawley, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope/Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad

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