England captain Joe Root has confirmed that Jos Buttler will return to the side for the fifth and final Test against India at Old Trafford. Buttler had missed the fourth Test to be at the birth of his second child and will now join the side in Manchester. Skipper Root confirmed that Buttler would be his deputy.
"He is the vice captain of this team," Root said of Buttler. "He is a senior player and he is integral to what we are about,” he added.
Root also put his weight behind Buttler despite not having a great run in the fixtures against India.
“I know his output in terms of runs in this series has not been as high as he would like or as we would like but we know what a great player he is and how important he can be to turning a Test match and that is the reason behind it,” Root said.
The visitors presently lead the five-match series 2-1 after they clinched a win at Lord’s in the second match and then at Kennington Oval in the penultimate game. The first match of the series at Nottingham ended in a draw while England won the third match in Leeds.