NEW DELHI: England's prolific batter Joe Root had to leave the field after suffering 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.
Facing a length ball from spinner Tom Hartley, Gill played with hard hands, resulting in a thick edge that flew towards Root in the slip cordon. Root managed to get a finger on the ball but couldn't complete the catch, leading to a boundary.
In an update, 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."
While Root has not scored significant runs in the series, he played a crucial role with the ball in the first Test in Hyderabad, claiming 4 for 79 and 1 for 41.
He was dismissed for 29 and 2 in the first Test in Hyderabad and had scored just 5 in the first innings of the second Test before the injury forced him off the field.
(With inputs from PTI)
