Ashes team selection: Ben Foakes for Jonny Bairstow, but is there still room for the Yorkshire star

On top of dropped catches behind the stumps, a scoring rate of just 141 runs across his six innings with bat in hand have raised questions over whether Bairstow can regain his form of last summer following nine months out through injury.

A surprising change in the batting order for the second innings at Headingley on Sunday saw Moeen Ali walk out at No 3, a significant rise following his appearance at No 7 during England’s first innings.

The late change that was filled by second-innings hero Harry Brook during England’s first spell at the crease, suggests that there is an open spot higher up the batting order following Ollie Pope’s series-ending shoulder injury.

Removing Bairstow from the physical and mental demands of wicketkeeping would allow him to slot in to the middle of the order and focus on his batting in the hope that he can replicate his stunning form from last year, where he scored 1,066 runs at an average of 82. Six of his 11 career centuries and a single half-century helped England on their way to an unbeaten summer in which Bairstow encapsulated ‘Bazball.’

Simultaneously, Foakes proved himself to be more than capable with the bat scoring a second century of his career, suggesting the Surrey man could come into the team at the expense of Ali and comfortably match his average of 15.75 during four Ashes innings so far, as well as keep wicket.

Undoubtedly, Bairstow has quality, but with limited cricket in the lead-up to this series asking him to play wicketkeeper and replicate his remarkable form was always a lot to ask.