England vs India: England add Sam Billings as a cover ahead of the 3rd ODI

Ahead of the third and final ODI against India, the England team has an unwanted trouble. While their line-up looked pretty settled having ticked all the boxes in the 2nd ODI, Eoin Morgan might be forced to make a change in the playing XI. During the Lord’s ODI two of their key batters Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow hurt themselves and walked off the field for immediate attention.

Roy was fielding at cover during the 27th over of the Indian innings, it was Moeen Ali who bowled at Suresh Raina. The left-hander played an inside out shot and it went towards Roy at bullet pace. He attempted to catch it but it hurt his finger and fell off. The impact was so hard that suffered a deep cut. The injury makes him uncertain for the series decider at Leeds tomorrow (July 17).

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that “Jason Roy will have a fitness test tomorrow on a laceration to his finger sustained fielding in Saturday’s ODI against India at Lord’s.” As a precautionary move, the national selectors added 27-year-old Sam Billings in the team and he will be a cover for Roy.

In case Roy isn’t fit for the match it could give James Vince to play his first ODI game in almost two years. The Hampshire batter last played an ODI for England back in October 2016 against Bangladesh on the away tour. He showed good touch in the Royal London One-Day cup scoring 527 runs in 9 innings and was the third highest run-scorer in the tournament.

Billings, on the other hand, didn’t have a merry run in the One-Day cup but it is his display in the IPL coupled with his exploits for Kent in the ongoing T20 Blast that would’ve prompted the selectors to give him a bigger role.

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