England add Billings as keeping injuries mount

England have plucked wicketkeeper Sam Billings from the KFC BBL to join their Ashes squad after both their first and second-choice glovemen suffered hand injuries in the Sydney Test.

Jonny Bairstow batted through sharp pain to score England's first century of their Vodafone Ashes tour but an agonising knock to his right thumb could leave him unable to take the gloves in Jos Buttler's stead.

Both Bairstow, who is playing as a specialist batter but has kept extensively in Test cricket, and regular keeper Jos Buttler may have suffered broken bones in this match after the latter was struck a nasty blow to his hand on a ball that bounced in front of him while he was keeping on day two.

Reserve batter and occasional keeper Ollie Pope was seen practicing with the gloves on Friday at the SCG and he could conceivably fill in for Buttler during this Test after the International Cricket Council begun allowing substitutes to take the gloves in 2017.

Billings was not listed as a sub-fielder on England's team sheet for this Test and would therefore be unlikely to be allowed to take the gloves.

The 30-year-old could be called upon for the series finale in Hobart if Buttler and Bairstow remain hampered by their respective injuries.

Buttler's position in the side may have come under the microscope anyway after he bagged a duck on day three to see his series batting average drop to 16 from seven innings.

That admittedly includes a gutsy 26 off 207 balls on the final day of the Adelaide Test when the right-hander might have salvaged a draw for England had he found more support.

His keeping also came under fire during that Test, dropping two straightforward chances.

Billings, who is in Sydney and will join the Test squad subject to receiving a negative PCR COVID-19 test result, is one of England's growing legion of white-ball guns who has also outlined his eagerness for red-ball opportunities.

The Sydney Thunder star had been scheduled to fly back to the United Kingdom today ahead of England's upcoming limited-overs tour of the Caribbean later this month.

Bairstow was unsure was to whether he would be able to take the gloves in Sydney.

"I don't know as yet," said Bairstow, who brought up his century in the final over of day three and was unbeaten on 103 at the close of play.

"I'll know some more information tomorrow. I'm not sure about the keeping side of things.

"But from a batting point of view, I'll be out there in the morning."

Bairstow said his seventh Test ton was the most difficult of his Test career.

"It's the hardest one so far, with the circumstances," he told reporters. "It was tough out there and I'm really, really delighted with it.

"You have been around me long enough to know that it takes quite a bit to get me off the park.

"Yes, it (his thumb) was sore. But in the circumstances of the game, it was a decision I made to stay out there.

"The medics can give you advice but ultimately, you're out there playing in an Ashes Test match, a New Year's Test match on pink day in Sydney in front of the crowd.

"It's going to take a lot to get you away from that."

Vodafone Men's Ashes

Squads

Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith (vc), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nic Maddinson, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner

England: Joe Root (c), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Schedule

First Test: Australia won by nine wickets

Second Test: Australia won by 275 runs

Third Test: Australia won by an innings and 14 runs

Fourth Test: January 5-9, SCG

Fifth Test: January 14-18, Blundstone Arena