England v India: Jonny Bairstow passed fit and will play as specialist batsman
- From the section Cricket
| England v India, fourth Specsavers Test |
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| Venue: Ageas Bowl Date: 30 August - 3 September Time: 11:00 BST |
| Coverage: Ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, Radio 4 LW and the BBC Sport website. In-play clips and live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. Full tour details |
Jonny Bairstow has been included in England's squad for the fourth Test against India despite breaking his finger in the third-Test defeat.
He broke the middle finger of his left hand keeping wicket at Trent Bridge.
He will play as a specialist batsman and Jos Buttler will keep wicket as England, leading 2-1, look to seal victory in the five-match series.
Sam Curran replaces the injured Chris Woakes while Moeen Ali, who will bat at seven, comes in for Ollie Pope.
Woakes had been suffering with tightness in his right quad and the 29-year-old missed training on Tuesday.
Pope, 20, is left out after two Tests in which he has made 54 runs with a highest score of 28.
The reshuffle is the latest attempt to reinforce England's batting after a first-innings collapse in Nottingham set them on the way to a 203-run defeat.
That dragged India's series deficit in the five-match series back to 2-1 after England won at Edgbaston and Lord's.
England have not lost back-to-back home Tests for 10 years and a continuation of that run would ensure they cannot lose this series, extending their unbeaten record in home series to nine.
India, the top-ranked Test side, must avoid defeat in Southampton to keep the contest alive going into the final match at The Oval.
Bairstow sustained his fracture when attempting to take a delivery from James Anderson on 20 August, the match's third day.
England one-day keeper Buttler took the gloves for the remainder of the match, while Bairstow fell for a first-ball duck in the fourth innings.
Speaking before Wednesday's announcement, Bairstow said he was "protective and proud" of being England keeper and did not want to give up the role in the longer term, adding that he would want to keep in the fifth Test at The Oval if ruled out this week.
England squad for fourth Test
Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Joe Root (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, James Anderson, Stuart Broad.
