India vs England: Crawley to miss first two Tests
The England cricket team has been dealt with a blow ahead of the first Test against India in Chennai, starting February 5. England batsman Zak Crawley has been ruled out of the first two Tests after spraining a wrist in a freak accident. The 23-year-old slipped on a marble floor outside the changing rooms during a practice session on Tuesday. Here's more.
ECB issues statement regarding Crawley's injury
According to a statement released by the ECB, Crawley has been ruled out following the results of the scans conducted. The statement said the scan results have confirmed that Crawley has jarred his right wrist, which has sprained the joint and led to local inflammation. Meanwhile, the England medical team will continue to assess his progress over the next few weeks.
Pope could replace Crawley in the starting XI
As per reports, Crawley, who opened the batting in England's 2-0 Test series win in Sri Lanka in January, was set to bat at number three to accommodate the returning Rory Burns. His injury now opens a berth for Ollie Pope, who has recovered from a shoulder injury. Meanwhile, Dan Lawrence, who made his debut against Sri Lanka, is also in contention.
You feel for players who pick these injuries up: Root
Joe Root shared his views on the injury. "We initially just put some towels down and since then they've put something more substantial down," he told BBC Sport. "We know we've got to be careful. You feel for players who pick these injuries up - doing everything they can to get ready, and something as freak as that can have such a big impact."
A look at Crawley's Test career
Crawley has played 10 Test matches for England so far, having accumulated 616 runs at 38.50. He has scored one century and three fifties. Notably, he struggled in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka recently. Crawley got scores of 9, 8, 5, and 13 across four innings. The promising batsman is yet to feature against the Indian cricket team in Tests.
