England vs India 2018: Modern India-England Combined Test XI 

#5 Jonny Bairstow(WK)

New Zealand v England - 2nd Test: Day 2

Jonny Bairstow, clearly the second best batsman in a lineup consisting of Root, Cook, Stokes, Woakes and Ali to follow is a great complement to have. Ever since his first test century that came against South Africa in Cape Town 2 seasons ago, he has transformed.

In fact, the transformation has been so stark that he has gone on to score 2588 test runs in 37 test matches with all of his 5 centuries coming in this period. The recent exploits in the limited overs as an opener extrapolate him to another level but it was due to his test match batting that he achieved it.

He averages 43.86 in this period and to have that number is a luxury for a specialist keeper batsman who is not only attacking but can also play the role of sheet anchor if and when required at will. He is also a safe gloveman to go with his batting exploits.