Jonny Bairstow becoming a luxury England can no longer continue to indulge

NICK HOWSON AT OLD TRAFFORD: With an embarrassment of riches in the wicket-keeping department the Yorkshireman is creeping towards extraneousness

"I can't look into the future."

Spend enough time interviewing sportspeople and eventually you get used to paint-by-numbers, painfully obvious responses to questions. However, where possible, it is important to consider the subtext, the body language and the reason behind such a monosyllabic reply.

This particular quote came at the end of a rather frosty exchange between the media and England's Jonny Bairstow at the end of day two of the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford. A perfectly legitimate question regarding the deterioration of the surface did not deserve such a facetious response. But just six words at the end of a session lasting a fleeting six minutes and 37 seconds acted as an insight into the state of mind of an athlete under intense pressure.

There is a distinct irony to Bairstow dismissing his own abilities as a cricketing clairvoyant. Currently, the future is not something he will want to think about. Because of what it might bring. Because of what it might mean.

We are potentially entering the final throws of Bairstow's Test career. If England do indeed allow Australia to retain the Ashes either in Manchester or at The Oval, the inquest into the hosts' display is likely to be brutal and thorough. And it is impossible to ignore that Bairstow's head is among those on the block.

Day four of the fourth Test was the perfect opportunity to offer a reminder as to his value to the England team. It was a passage of play where determination and resilience was required. Many of his teammates have displayed such traits this summer, but Bairstow was unable to draw on them.

^{Jonny Bairstow's series went from bad to worse thanks to Mitchell Starc}

Less than 50 minutes into what should have been a titanic rearguard, Bairstow was undone in a typically naive fashion. Mitchell Starc had got the new ball to swing but the shot which welcomed his latest effort was pathetic; an expansive drive which missed by a seismic margin.

The familiarity of Bairstow's demise is alarming. It was the 15th time in the last 37 innings that the 29-year-old has lost his poles, the 32nd of his 111 dismissals. Indeed, he is now among the top five bowled players  (who have been out 100 times or more) in Test history. And of them, only Wally Hammond can boast to be as competent a batsman.

Failing to learn from such obvious flaws supplements a concerning run of form which is equally as worrying. Bairstow averages less than 20 this summer and just 25.64 since the start of 2018. Seven of his 10 career ducks have come in the last 20 months. It is an undeniable charge sheet which requires severe assessment.

Bairstow is a proud wicket-keeper. Indeed, he works on that aspect on his game ferociously hard. But it is widely acknowledged that he is far from the best gloveman in the current team, let alone available to England. Indeed, he might not even be in the top four. An error-stern display on home turf at Headingley highlighted that though Bairstow has made major improvements, others are more suitable for the job.

VISIT THE ASHES HUB

His ability with the bat has always seen Bairstow indulged with the gloves. But if that aspect of his game is not functioning and his work behind the stumps is also poor, then surely this particular experiment needs to be reviewed. Having refrained from withdrawing him midway through the series, this winter must surely be the watershed moment.

And it isn't like England haven't got options. Jos Buttler is a World Cup winner and has kept wicket in 16 Tests. Sam Billings has all the tools and can be handy with the bat. Ollie Robinson has the most dismissals in Division One of the County Championship in 2019.

And then there is Ben Foakes, regarded by regular watchers of the Championship as the best keeper in the country. And with a Test century and an average of over 40 it is baffling he has had a watching brief - bar outings against Ireland and Pakistan in May - since his last outing in the West Indies.

So when Bairstow insists he is unwilling to look into his crystal ball, who would blame him? Due to turn 30 before the end of the month, the future looks bleak. Sunnier climes of New Zealand and South Africa are to come this winter but at this stage, they represent glorified holiday destinations.