ENG vs IND 2025: 'I haven't heard too much from the selectors' - Bairstow still hopeful for comeback despite being ignored for Tests versus India

Jonny Bairstow, who still holds a central contract, is hopeful for a 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 snubbed from the Test side as part of a shuffle and revamp of the red-ball squad. Interestingly, Bairstow was one of the quickest England batters to adopt the 'Bazball' style of play after Brendon McCullum joined as the head coach. Jamie Smith is England's current wicketkeeper-batter in the red-ball format and he is the leading run-getter for the Three Lions in the ongoing five-match series against India.

England's new white-ball captain, Harry Brook, recently said that he wants players who can put the best bowlers in world cricket to the sword, and Bairstow believes that he fits the bill.

"I am still contracted. I haven't heard too much from them, if anything, to be honest with you, but that's the part and parcel of it. Brooky (Harry Brook) came out and said that he wanted certain type of players who can take down the best bowlers in the world, and I definitely fit that mould and have done for a long period of time," Bairstow told Sky Sports.

Bairstow also mentioned that he is playing a lot of cricket in the domestic circuit after recovering from an ankle injury. He has played in the County Championship and also joined Mumbai Indians for the business end of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL).

"So, from a fitness point of view, I have not missed a game since coming back from my ankle injury, which could have been a lot more treacherous than it has been. I am really pleased to be spending a lot of time out on the field, even with the County Championship stuff and then going into the Hundred. From a robustness point of view, I am definitely knocking about. The other bits here, the leadership side of it, have thrown at different challenges," he concluded.

Bairstow has played 100 Tests, 107 ODIs, and 80 T20Is, scoring 6042, 3868, and 1671 runs across the three formats. The right-handed batter has registered 53 half-centuries and 23 tons in international cricket.