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Jonny Bairstow joins England squad as back-up for Tests against New Zealand

Bairstow has played 69 Test matches for the Three Lions and has scored 4020 runs at an average of 35.26 with his highest score being 167. He has 6 centuries against his name in the longest format of the game.

Jonny Bairstow joins England squad as back-up for Tests against New Zealand

England's Jonny Bairstow celebrates after scoring a century (100 runs) during the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between England and New Zealand at the Riverside Ground, in Chester-le-Street, northeast England, on July 3, 2019. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

Wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow has been added to the Test squad of England for the two-match Test series against New Zealand starting November 21. The 30-year-old right-handed batsman has been roped in as back-up for the injured batsman Joe Denly.

Bairstow will stay in New Zealand, following the conclusion of the five-match T20I series on Sunday at Eden Park in Auckland, for the two warm-up matches against New Zealand Cricket XI starting in Whangarei on Tuesday.

Notably, Denly sustained ligament damage to his right ankle in practice ahead of the first T20I at the start of the month.

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“Denly is making progress on his rehabilitation and is hoping that he will be fit to play in the three-day warm-up match starting on Friday, November 15,” said ECB in a statement.

Bairstow has played 69 Test matches for the Three Lions and has scored 4020 runs at an average of 35.26 with his highest score being 167. He has 6 centuries against his name in the longest format of the game.

Talking about his recent form, he has scored 324 runs at an average of 20.25 in nine Test matches in 2019. In the recently-concluded Ashes, he averaged 23.77 over five Tests while registering only one fifty.

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