Jonny Bairstow is not an outrageous selection for Lord's Test

GEORGE DOBELL: Bairstow has made two centuries in his past four Tests and with the England management intimating he will play at No.5 and Ollie Pope at No.3, the only immediate selection dilemma would appear to involve the bowlers

You can understand why Jonny Bairstow wanted to play at Lord's.

As recently as the second Test of the Ashes, he was unable to gain a spot in the England side and, with some talented young players – not least Harry Brook - making an increasingly irrepressible case for selection, Bairstow could be forgiven for not wanting to provide anyone with an opportunity to stake a claim on his place.

Besides, it's not such an outrageous selection. Bairstow has made two centuries in his four most recent Tests and, while there was a time when his lack of first-class cricket coming into a series might have been an issue, it's not unusual in these days of white-ball windows and the IPL.

The main issue with Bairstow might have been his mental well-being. Having been involved in the T20 World Cup, the Ashes, a Test series in the Caribbean and the IPL, he has quite a winter, after all. But, despite only having arrived back in the UK on May 23, he looked and sounded fresh at Lord's on Monday and insisted that the need for a holiday hadn't entered his head.

"Needing time-off hasn't even come into my mind," Bairstow said. "Playing Test cricket is something I want to do. You know my desire to play for England and my desire to play Test cricket."

With the England management having intimated that Bairstow is set to slot in at No.5 and Ollie Pope will be given an opportunity at No.3, the only immediate selection dilemmas would appear to involve the bowlers.

^{Stuart Broad could be battling Craig Overton for the same spot in the XI (Stu Forster/Getty Images)}

As things stand, England are minded to include the spin of Jack Leach, meaning the last decision probably comes down to a choice between Stuart Broad and Craig Overton. And with some concerns about the length of the tail, Overton's batting could win him the place.

That could change, though. The forecast for the next couple of days suggests more rain will fall and it remains possible England could go into the game without a frontline spinner. Leach hasn't played a Test in England since September 2019, after all.

But five right-arm seamers, each bowling somewhere between 80 and 85mph is probably overkill. Matt Potts' inclusion hasn't been confirmed, either, though Rob Key, the new managing director of England men's teams, did refer to him as a "point of difference" bowler when the squad was announced.

In such a context, it's not tough to see why cricketers such as Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali remain of such potential value. That ability to balance the side is crucial and means both could well be in the thoughts of Brendon McCullum and co, in the coming weeks.

Perhaps some of the same things could be said about Adil Rashid – who actually broke into the Yorkshire side as a batter who bowled (he was scheduled to bat at No.6 on first-class debut before a nightwatchman pushed him down a spot) – and even Ollie Robinson. Robinson's poor fortune with his health – and food poisoning, a dental problem and Covid really are signs of poor fortune rather than any lack of desire – shows no sign of abating.

Broad and Potts bowled really nicely in the nets at Lord's on Monday. Armed with a new batch of Dukes balls, they gained assistance from the surface and in the air and troubled most of the batters. Bairstow, leaving the ball more often than most, looked as comfortable as anyone despite his lack of red-ball cricket in recent times. England's top three were less persuasive.

^{Harry Brook appears to be England's next cab off the rank (Stu Forster/Getty Images)}

"I was really happy with the way I played in the nets," Bairstow said. "I was happy with my movements. They dropped back into where I wanted them. The next couple of days, I'll catch up with Tres and Colly and have some time on my own to work through a couple of bits. But I'm happy after what has been a good winter."

It is far from impossible that Bairstow and Brook could end up in the same Test side. Bairstow has never made any secret of his desire to reclaim the gloves and there may be some pressure on Ben Foakes, who is set to play his first home Test, to deliver. If Bairstow were to move to No.7, where he averages 37.69, it would free up a spot at No.5 for Brook.

Perhaps Brook would make an even more persuasive case, though, if he batted higher up the order for Yorkshire. His first-class centuries this season have come at No.7 (against Essex; albeit due to a nightwatchman) and No.5 (against Kent and Gloucestershire). He seems to have all the attributes to bat as high as No.3 at county level and it might well make the step up to international cricket a little less demanding.

Either way, England do have an opportunity here. This New Zealand side could well be without four of the players who took them to the World Test Championship almost a year ago. Even without Trent Boult, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling and Ross Taylor they remain impressively strong opposition but they have not had ideal preparation themselves – Boult only arrived in England from the IPL on May 30 – and might be seen as in something of a transitional period.

Whether England are remains to be seen. You suspect that, once McCullum finds his feet, more changes may follow. But for now, despite all the talk of a red-ball reset, there seems every chance there will be a very familiar look to the side which takes the field at Lord's.

Related Topics

• New Zealand could start Test series without Trent Boult
• England v New Zealand, first Test: All you need to know