England Enlists Tom Banton as Backup for Third ODI Against India

Synopsis

England has summoned Tom Banton to fill in for Jacob Bethell for the third ODI against India, due to Bethell's hamstring injury. Banton is a key player in T20 cricket and is currently a leading scorer in the UAE's ILT20. England faces challenges with player injuries ahead of their crucial ODI match.

Key Takeaways

Tom Banton called up for third ODI against India.
Jacob Bethell sidelined due to hamstring injury.
Banton leads in UAE's ILT20 competition.
England lacking players due to injuries and rest.
Victory needed to avoid fourth consecutive ODI series loss.

Cuttack, Feb 9 (NationPress) England has brought in right-handed batter Tom Banton as a replacement for the third ODI against India, which is set to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. The 26-year-old Banton is expected to arrive in India on Monday.

An official announcement from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that Banton has been called up to fill in for batting all-rounder Jacob Bethell, who is sidelined for the second ODI against India at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack due to a hamstring injury.

According to the ECB, Bethell, who played in the first ODI defeat in Nagpur and scored a half-century, has suffered a left hamstring injury. His condition will be evaluated further upon the team's arrival in Ahmedabad on Monday. This injury also raises concerns about his availability for the upcoming Champions Trophy.

In his six ODIs for England, Banton has accumulated 134 runs, while he has scored 327 runs in 27 T20I matches. Although he last donned the England shirt in an ODI back in August 2020, he has been performing exceptionally well in the T20 franchise circuit.

Currently, he leads the run-scoring charts in the ILT20 competition in the UAE, with an impressive 493 runs from 11 innings at an average of 54.77, including two centuries for MI Emirates.

With Bethell recovering from a hamstring issue and Jamie Smith already out due to a calf injury, along with Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse being rested, England is facing a shortage of players in Cuttack. Consequently, they have included two of their coaching staff members, Paul Collingwood and Marcus Trescothick, as substitute players in Cuttack.

England is in dire need of a victory in Cuttack to prevent their fourth consecutive ODI series defeat and the first under Brendon McCullum's tenure. They have already lost the T20I series 4-1 during their ongoing tour of India.