Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook has suggested Joe Root could open the batting in the Ashes, with Zak Crawley under pressure after a poor run of form and Jonny Bairstow set to return after breaking his leg.
Head coach Brendon McCullum has stated that Bairstow will be "back in the side as soon as he's fit" and there has been much debate over where he fits in, given Harry Brook's exploits since replacing him at number five.
The common consensus appears to be that Bairstow will either replace Ben Foakes and keep wicket or replace Crawley and open like he does in white-ball cricket. However, Bairstow has previously been reluctant to entertain the idea of opening in Test cricket.
