England coach Chris Silverwood has praised Jonny Bairstow’s performances with the bat in Sri Lanka, but he insists it is the right move to rest the Yorkshire star for the first half of the forthcoming Test series in India.
Bairstow returned to England’s Test team after 12 months away, batting at number three during the 2-0 series victory and posting scores of 47, 35 not out, 28 and 29.
The 31-year-old batted beautifully against spin and was a guiding hand in both run chases at Galle.
And it is for that reason his omission from the first two Tests in India, starting in Chennai next Friday, has raised a few eyebrows amongst pundits and supporters alike.
After approximately two weeks at home, Bairstow will fly out to India ahead of the last two Tests and then one-day and T20 series against the same opponents.
He will also play in the following Indian Premier League for Sunrisers Hyderabad, as he did towards the end of last year in the UAE.
“I think he did well (in Sri Lanka),” said Silverwood.
“Jonny asked me the same question, and I said to him, ‘You did very well’.
“I think he went in in some difficult periods of the game and applied himself very well on some testing wickets. I was very pleased with him.
“He will come back into the group and the rest of it will be down to selection. We don’t make any guarantees to anybody. You can’t because you don’t know where you’re going to be at that moment in time.
“But I do think it is right that Jonny has a rest.
“He’s very busy and is a multi-format player, and we’ve got to look after him and give him some time to chill out.”
