England cricketer Joe Root is likely to recover in time to bat in the fourth innings of the second Test match against India. Root had to leave the field for medical attention on day three after injuring his little finger while attempting to catch a ball in the slips.
However, his team has indicated that he should be able to bat when his turn comes. Root’s absence put England short of a bowling option, but they managed to bowl India out for 255, giving them a chance to win the match. England bowler James Anderson has said that keeping Root off the field was a precautionary measure to ensure he would be fit to bat in the final innings of the game.
“His finger is not great. He took a blow in training this morning and again on the field. It’s just making sure that is as good as it can be for when he bats. Hopefully tomorrow he’ll turn up at the ground and be OK to hold a bat,” the 41-year-old told TNT Sport after the end of Day 3 of the IND vs ENG 2nd Test.
“He was just making sure he could do everything he could to help us out in the second innings, just making sure it’s as good as possible for tomorrow. There’s a chance we will need him with the bat so it’s making sure he can hold a bat,” the right-arm fast bowler added.
“I don’t think there’s concerns. It’s making sure he’s as good as he can be. There’s no point risking it for an external blow, no point risking it further out in the middle, so it’s making sure he’s good enough to bat.”