Trott prefers to bat at No.3

Jonathan Trott has said that he would prefer to stay at No.3 during England's Test series in India after the late inclusion of Kevin Pietersen had encouraged debate about whether he should be asked to open the innings.

Andrew Strauss' retirement from Test cricket had left England contemplating a choice between two uncapped openers - Yorkshire's Joe Root and Nick Compton of Somerset - alongside Alastair Cook at the top of the order.

But the addition of Pietersen to the squad after his long-standing dispute with the England hierarchy was settled has given England the option of opening with Trott, tried and trusted, and giving Pietersen the No.3 spot that he has made his own in averaging more than 50 over 34 Tests, but whose form has faltered in the past year.

"I've enjoyed batting No.3 in my career, since my second Test match when I was put in that position, and I feel like I've done a pretty good job there," Trott told Sky Sports News. "But, if asked to open I'd have to - or I'd like to - do what the team wants me to. No.3 is my preference but we'll just have to wait and see. I don't think it will come to that."

With Pietersen then likely to bat at No.4 and Ian Bell regarded as a certainty in the top six, retaining Trott at three would leave Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow and Samit Patel vying for the final batting spot.

Trott became the latest player to voice support for Pietersen's return after a 73-day exile following his outburst after the end of the Headingley Test against South Africa that he might have played his last Test for England.

"Kevin is a world-class player and if you want to be a successful team you need your best players playing," Trott said. "As long as everything has been straightened out between Kevin, the ECB and the management squad then hopefully everything can be laid to bed - and I think everything has been.

"We had our meetings with him - I think that's been widely reported - and everything went pretty smoothly. I've never really had any problem with Kev, I've always enjoyed playing with him and it's time to get back playing some good cricket."