India v England: Zak Crawley out of first two Tests with sprained wrist

Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Date: 5-9 Feb Time: 04:00 GMT
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England batsman Zak Crawley has been ruled out of the first two Tests against India after spraining a wrist in a “freak” accident.

Crawley, who opened in England’s 2-0 Test series win in Sri Lanka in January, was set to bat at three to accommodate the returning Rory Burns.

Ollie Pope could replace Crawley after recovering from a shoulder injury.

Dan Lawrence, who made his debut batting at five in Sri Lanka, is also in contention.

England also have all-rounder Ben Stokes and pace bowler Jofra Archer returning for the four-Test series, which begins on Friday.

Captain Joe Root, who will play his 100th Test in Chennai, said England have taken precautions outside the changing rooms.

“We initially just put some towels down and since then they’ve put something more substantial down,” he said. “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.”

On Pope’s return, Root told BBC Sport: “It’s a really exciting time to see him back in the fold.

“We have so many different options we can go with in terms of the team. We’ll have a look at the pitch and try and make the right call.”

An England and Wales Cricket Board statement read: “Scan results have confirmed that Crawley has jarred his right wrist, which has sprained the joint and led to local inflammation.

“The England medical team will continue to assess his progress over the next few weeks.”