Jonny Bairstow has said that he believes it is "inevitable" Gary Ballance will return to his best form following his England axe.

The 25-year-old has been drafted in to replace his Yorkshire teammate for next week's third Ashes Test at Edgbaston.

Ballance has struggled against both New Zealand and Australia this summer, but Bairstow has backed the man that he is usurping in the Three Lions fold to come good once again.

"I'm desperately disappointed for Gaz," he is quoted as saying by The Guardian. "He was the second fastest to 1,000 Test runs in an England shirt.

"My thoughts are with him. I don't have any doubts he will come back to Yorkshire and score a lot of runs. It's inevitable he will be back playing for England sooner rather than later."

Bairstow has not played Test cricket for England since the final match of their 2013-14 Ashes defeat in Australia.