England suffer a blow on eve of Chepauk game, opener ruled out of first 2 Tests vs India

Just a day before England and India lock horns at the Chepauk to commence the four-match Test series, the visitors have suffered a huge blow after one of their players had to be ruled out. The young 23-year-old Zak Crawley, who has been in red-hot form, has been ruled out of the first two Tests against India due to an injury, the English board confirmed on Thursday morning. The English cricketer sustained an injury during a practice session on Tuesday when he slipped on the marble floor while leaving the dressing room. 

"Scan results have confirmed that Crawley has jarred his right wrist, which has sprained the joint and led to local inflammation," the England Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement. 

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Pope back in hut, Stokes & Archer in XI?

The England medical team will continue to assess his progress over the next few weeks. The wrist injury to Crawley has paved way for Dom Sibley into the playing XI with Rory Burns taking the field from the other end. While England are yet to announce their playing XI, it is expected that Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer will return to the field after a short hiatus as they missed the Tests against Sri Lanka. Skipper Joe Root is also likely to bring in Jack Leach and Moeen Ali as the extra spinner considering that the pitch at Chennai offers turn. 

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The visitors have also been boosted with the return of Ollie Pope to the squad. The right-handed batsman has recovered just in time and has been added to the squad for the first Test against India in Chennai. "Pope has fully recovered from a left shoulder injury sustained in August 2020 against Pakistan. The England medical team are satisfied that he is available for selection," the ECB had confirmed. 

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India Vs England: Test series

With the finale berth of the World Test Championship being the prize of the series, the Tests between India and England promise to be cracker as both teams are riding high confidence with a series win against Sri Lanka and Australia.  The tour kicks off with the first Test that will be played in Chennai's M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. The second Test match will also be played at the same venue between February 13-17. The newly renovated Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad will be contesting the final two games (Feb 24-28) & (March 4-8) respectively. The BCCI has also opened gates for crowds from the second Test onwards allowing fans to catch the action live. 

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