It is clear that England wicket-keeper Jos Buttler won’t be available for the remaining two Test matches of the series against India. After England won the third Test at Leeds by an innings and 76 runs, the series is wide open and anyone could win here, but the absence of Buttler could be a setback for the team.
But former Australia spinner Shane Warne is of the opinion that England should include T20 star Liam Livingstone in the playing XI, which could change around things for them. Just for the record, Livingstone is in supreme form currently, playing for Birmingham Phoenix, taking them to the final. Till now he has scored 348 runs at an average of 58 in the tournament.
He has smashed a whopping 27 sixes in the tournament, while his fours count is only 22. His inclusion, after all, might not be a surprise, as England picked Dawid Malan as well, who is the world’s best T20I batsman. Not only that, Livingstone has considerable experience in the first-class circuit as well. He has scored over 3000 runs with the help of seven tons, with 224 being his highest score.
Meanwhile, after the third Test debacle, Team India is unlikely to go with seven batsmen, Virat Kohli has said. “I don’t believe in that balance (pick an extra batsman). I have never believed in that balance. Either you can try and save [yourself] from a defeat and try and win the game and we have drawn games in the past with similar number of batters," said Kohli to media in an interaction after the match.
“So if top your 6-7 don’t do the job, that extra guy is not a guarantee for bailing you out every time. You have to take responsibility and pride for doing the job for the team. If you don’t have the ability or resources to take 20 wickets going into a Test match then you are already playing for two results and that is not how we play."
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