West Indies' Kevin Sinclair ruled out of third Test against England due to a broken arm; Gudakesh Motie returns to the playing XI
West Indies off-spinner Kevin Sinclair has been ruled out of the third and final Test against England due to a broken arm sustained in the second Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. Sinclair tried to fend off a 148kmph Mark Wood delivery in the second delivery, which ended up hitting him straight on the side of his wrist.
He took a review after England went up for a caught dismissal, which the umpire obliged. Replays showed that the ball hit Sinclair's arm, evading the glove, but contact was made with the wristband, resulting in his dismissal.
Sinclair had come into the playing XI for the second Test as a late change for Gudakesh Motie, who fell ill on the day of the contest. He took three wickets in the match, including Harry Brook's in the first innings, and scored five runs in total.
Sinclair was not the only one who struggled against Wood's sheer pace in the contest. Although the speedster only ended up with a couple of wickets, he caused a lot of damage to the West Indies batting unit.
The injury forces West Indies to make a change in their spin department. Motie, who has now recovered from his illness, will take the field in place of Sinclair.
The third Test between England and West Indies is scheduled to begin on Friday, July 26 at Edgbaston, Birmingham. The Ben Stokes-led side have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
West Indies could be forced to make another change as Shamar Joseph is down with the flu
The Men in Maroon could potentially head into the final Test with a revamped bowling attack as the pace bowling unit also faces a potential change. Pacer Shamar Joseph is reportedly down with the flu, which could lead to a potential debut for the only pace bowler on the bench, Akeem Jordan.
Jordan was originally not part of the squad, but came in as a replacement for the injured Jeremiah Louis ahead of the third Test. He has played two ODIs in the past for the West Indies in 2023, but is yet to make a red-ball appearance. The right-arm pacer has taken 67 wickets in 19 matches in first-class cricket at an average of 24.10.