Eoin Morgan has been ruled out of the last two ODIs of the series against India.© AFP
England captain Eoin Morgan will miss the final two ODIs of the three-game series against India after he suffered a split between the thumb and index finger during the first ODI on Tuesday, the Cricket Board said Thursday. England and Wales (ECB). Additionally, Sam Billings, who suffered a bruise to his collarbone while fielding in the first ODI, will not be available for the second ODI and his participation in the final game will be decided in due course. Liam Livingstone will make his debut on Friday in the second ODI, the ECB said, and Dawid Malan, who was on the team as a cover, will be available for selection in the last two games. Jos Buttler will lead the England team in Morgan’s absence.
Morgan went through a fielding drill Thursday at MCA Stadium in Pune, the headquarters of all three ODIs, and was declared unfit.
“I re-dressed my hand before the start of training today, but it quickly became apparent that I found myself protecting the injury and getting into the wrong positions to catch the ball,” Morgan said on the ECB website.
“There is nowhere to hide on the field in international cricket these days, especially in limited formats, so it didn’t take a lot of thought to be unavailable.
“It was a weird injury and it’s extremely frustrating, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Now it’s just a case of letting the cut heal. I have every confidence in Jos and the rest of the team to face it without me.”
While Livingstone is guaranteed a debut, Malan could enter the XI as a similar replacement for Morgan in the second ODI.
Promoted
England will play to save the series on Friday after losing the first game by 66 runs.
The final game of the series will be played on March 28.
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