Famous cricketer turned commentator David Lloyd has lauded the out-of-form Jonny Bairstow as the ideal Test wicketkeeper with comparisons to other contemporaries, including former Indian keeper-batter MS Dhoni. The veteran is all set to play in his memorable 100th Test in the series finale against India in Dharamsala despite several questions over his place in the England side. Bairstow has endured a poor series thus far, scoring only 170 runs in the first four Tests which came at an average of just over 21.

In his column for The Daily Mail, Lloyd added, “With an average of 36 and a strike rate of 59, he is someone who influences outcomes. Those numbers are close to ideal for a wicketkeeper. To critics of his glovework, I ask you: was Adam Gilchrist the best wicketkeeper in Australia when he played Test cricket? Was Mahendra Singh Dhoni the best in India? Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara? Our own Matt Prior? Brendon McCullum of New Zealand?”

“No, and in each case their worth to the team in front of the stumps outweighed whatever they did behind them. Ditto Bairstow’s worth to England, and he really comes into his own joining an existing batter in the middle or being left with the tail,” he further added.

However, Jonny Bairstow has played more than half of his 99 Test outings as a keeper (55) and has and average of over 37 with five centuries. Meanwhile, former South African keeper Mark Boucer has the most dismissals in Tests (555), followed by legendary Australian player Adam Gilchrist (416) while Dhoni is fifth in the list with 294, and Bairstow is 14th on the list with 223 dismissals as well.

“Never doubted he was a player who was going to make it. Why? Because of his style: totally unselfish, with an ability to change the game. It is so important in Tests to put pressure back on the opposition. Having been an international coach, I can tell you that his name will feature on the whiteboard in the opposition dressing room, because he can really hurt you with the speed of his scoring,” wrote David Lloyd.