In a setback for England, prolific batter Joe Root had to leave the field after sustaining an injury to his right little finger during the morning session on day 3 of the second Test against India.
The incident occurred in the 18th over of India’s second innings when Root attempted to catch an edge from Shubman Gill in the slips. Gill faced a length ball from spinner Tom Hartley, playing with hard hands, resulting in a thick edge flying towards Root in the slip cordon. Despite getting a finger to the ball, Root couldn’t complete the catch, and the ball raced to the boundary.
An update from the England team management stated, “Joe Root sustained an external blow to his right little finger, attempting a slip catch in the first session of D3. The England medical team will keep him off the field for the time being to treat and ice. At this stage, there is no indication of when he will return to the field.
Root, who hasn’t been in peak form during the series, contributed with the ball in the first Test in Hyderabad, claiming 4 for 79 and 1 for 41. However, he faced dismissals for 29 and 2 in the Hyderabad Test, managing just 5 in the first innings.
