Bairstow 'disappointed' about losing the gloves

Normally a wicketkeeper, Bairstow has seen himself supplanted as the man behind the stumps by Ben Foakes and is set to play as a specialist batsman coming in at No.3

Jonny Bairstow is set to feature in the England side for the first time during their Test series with Sri Lanka when the final Test begins on Friday.

Normally England's wicketkeeper, Bairstow has seen himself supplanted as the man behind the stumps by Ben Foakes and is set to play as a specialist batsman coming in at No.3. He will be the fourth man to occupy the position for England during this series, after Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes and Keaton Jennings.

Even though he is back in the team, Bairstow admitted that not having the gloves was disappointing.

"It's an opportunity to go out and play some good cricket, be able to go out and score some big runs, that's how I'm viewing it," Bairstow told Sky Sports.

^{Ben Foakes has kept wicket for the first two Tests}

"If I'm not keeping wicket then so be it. Ben's come in and he's done well and, like people have said, I've not really done too much wrong when it's come to keeping over the last two or three years.

"That is, in some ways, hard to take because it's not like you've had a massive dip in form so therefore it's your fault. Injuries happen, people come in and do well and that's professional sport.

"Naturally you're disappointed. You look at it over a period of time, whether that be the one-dayers where you come in for one game, do alright and then someone else is back fit so you drop out, but it's the way it's happened and the way it's turned out."