Cuttack, Feb 9: England have called up right-handed batter Tom Banton as cover for the third ODI against India, slated to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. Banton, 26, is now scheduled to arrive in India on Monday.

An official update from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said Banton has been called up as a cover for batting all-rounder Jacob Bethell, who is out of the second ODI against India at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack due to a hamstring injury.

ECB also said Bethell, who featured in the first ODI defeat in Nagpur and made a fifty, has sustained a left hamstring injury, and will be assessed further when the team arrives in Ahmedabad on Monday. Bethell’s injury also leaves his participation in the upcoming Champions Trophy in jeopardy.

In six ODIs for England, Banton made 134 runs while in 27 T20I games, he amassed 327 runs. Banton last played for England in an ODI in August 2020, but he has been in outstanding form in T20 franchise cricket.

He is currently the leading run-scorer in the ILT20 competition in the UAE, where he has amassed 493 runs from 11 innings at an average of 54.77, including two centuries for MI Emirates.

With Bethell nursing a hamstring injury and Jamie Smith already down with a calf injury, apart from Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse being rested, England are short on personnel strength in Cuttack and have been forced to add two of their coaching staff members- Paul Collingwood and Marcus Trescothick - on their list of substitute players in Cuttack.

England need a win in Cuttack to avoid facing their fourth consecutive ODI series loss and the first one under Brendon McCullum’s coaching stint. England have already lost T20I series 4-1 on their ongoing tour of India.

--IANS

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