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Jonny Bairstow pleased with England call

Jonny Bairstow believes that he is ready to return to Test cricket after being added to the England squad for the third Ashes Test against Australia at Edgbaston.

Jonny Bairstow has insisted that he is ready to return to Test cricket after being brought into the England squad for the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston.

The Yorkshire man has replaced Gary Ballance in the squad after scoring five County Championship hundreds this season and recording a three-figure batting average.

Bairstow was dropped from the England Test side 18 months ago following the 5-0 whitewash to Australia in the previous Ashes series, and the 25-year-old has said that it feels great to be back in the fold.

"Naturally it's quite exciting, and I'm really looking forward to getting my teeth into it. I'm pretty pleased with the form I'm in," he told Sky Sports News.

"It's obviously going to be a different challenge with different expectations, but as long as I'm trying my best that's all I can do. I might get no runs, some runs, who knows?

"It was obviously a very tough and testing time, that series Down Under, but it was a couple of years ago now - the experiences you gain from that are going to enhance your game going forward and hopefully that has happened. It's an exciting time and something I'm really looking forward to."

The third Test gets underway on Wednesday, July 29.

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Steven Toplis
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Jonny Bairstow bats for England against Australia at Lord's on July 18, 2013.
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