Bairstow Gets Call for Windies Opener

London: Jonathan Bairstow was named in an England Test squad for the first time on Sunday when he was included in a 13-man party for the series opener against the West Indies at Lord's starting Thursday.

The 22-year-old Yorkshireman is set to bat at number six if selected after all-rounder Ravi Bopara, in line to fill that middle order spot, was omitted from the squad after suffering a thigh injury playing for Essex.

Bairstow, who has played in six one-day internationals and six Twenty20 internationals, is the only player in England's 13 yet to be capped at Test level.

Since making an impressive ODI debut against India in Cardiff last September, he has also continued to shine in the longer format this year with two centuries already in this season's County Championship.

He has also made a fifty in the ongoing tour match between the second-string England Lions and the West Indies which concludes at Northampton on Sunday.

England squad for first Test at Lord's:

Andrew Strauss (captain)
Alastair Cook
Jonathan Trott
Kevin Pietersen
Ian Bell
Jonathan Bairstow
Matt Prior (wk)
Stuart Broad
Tim Bresnan
Graeme Swann
Steven Finn
James Anderson
Graham Onions

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