India vs England | Virat Kohli will be “motivated” for Test series, believes Jonny Bairstow

When India landed on English shores and won the first ODI, after a comprehensive win in the T20I series, it appeared that the hype around the English ODI team was nothing but an exaggeration. However, the hosts turned it around in spectacular fashion winning the ODI series on the back of Joe Root’s consecutive centuries. But with the Test series on the horizon, Jonny Bairstow, who scored a total of 106 runs in the 50-over series, said that he expects Virat Kohli to be ready.

“Kohli will be motivated no matter what, but we are motivated in our individual ways too. It’s going to be a tough Test series but it's really exciting. It’s five Tests to end the summer,” Bairstow said, reported The Telegraph.

“It's going to be grueling, but at the same time it is a nice way to finish.”

With England fielding two wicketkeepers in the ODI series, it was Jos Buttler who got the nod ahead of the Bairstow to take his place behind the stumps. Come the Test series, it is likely that there would be a reversal of roles with Buttler being the player deployed in the outfield. Even though out and out batsmen have performed better than ones with the gloves while fielding as well, Bairstow has maintained that he would like to keep in the limited overs as well.

“I definitely want to be keeping in white-ball cricket, but we have a settled one-day squad. It is what it is.,” he asserted.

“We are happy with the balance we have in the side and our individual goals within the team. Everyone appreciates the differences between the formats. There’s no: ‘I should be doing this, I should be doing that’. Collectively we are working well and making progress.

“It’s exciting because I haven’t done it for a few months and I am going into the Test series fresh and raring to go and ready to keep wicket again. I really enjoy that.”