ENG vs IND 2025: ‘I haven’t heard too much from the selectors’ – Bairstow hopeful for return despite being ignored for Tests vs India

Jonny Bairstow, who still has a central contract, hopes to return to the national team despite his last international appearance being more than a year ago. He was dismissed for a three-ball duck in the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final against India.

Last year, the 35-year-old was dropped from the Test team as part of a reshuffle and revision of the red-ball squad. Interestingly, Bairstow was one of the first England hitters to adopt the ‘Bazball’ style of play after Brendon McCullum became head coach. Jamie Smith is England’s current red-ball wicketkeeper-batsman, and he is the Three Lions’ leading run scorer in the upcoming five-match series against India.

England’s new white-ball captain, Harry Brook, recently stated that he wanted players who can dominate the finest bowlers in the world, and Bairstow believes he meets the criteria.

“I am still under contract.” To be honest, I haven’t heard anything from them, but that’s to be expected. Brooky (Harry Brook) came out and stated that he wanted specific kind of players who could take down the top bowlers in the world, and I absolutely fit that mould and have done so for a long time,” Bairstow told Sky Sports.

Bairstow also stated that he is playing a lot of cricket on the domestic circuit after recuperating from an ankle ailment. He has competed in the County Championship and joined the Mumbai Indians for the second half of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL).

“So, from a fitness standpoint, I haven’t missed a game since recovering from my ankle injury, which might have been far worse. I’m incredibly happy to be spending so much time on the pitch, even with the County Championship and then the Hundred. In terms of robustness, I am definitely knocking around. The other parts here, the leadership aspect of things, have presented various challenges,” he said.