Rib injury rules Craig Overton out of Melbourne Test

Surrey pacer Tom Curran is the most probable candidate to replace Overton at the MCG.

Craig Overton | Getty

England’s misery in the ongoing Ashes series doesn’t seem to end as the visitors have now lost the services of their inform pacer Craig Overton for the Boxing Day Test, starting on December 26 at the iconic MCG.

Overton, who made his debut in the second Ashes Test at Adelaide, was hit on the ribs while batting and the condition deteriorated even more during the third Test at WACA when he fell awkwardly trying to take a caught-and-bowled chance. The scans later revealed that the 23-year-old has suffered the hairline fracture.

Craig Overton’s unavailability means that the Surrey pacer Tom Curran is the most probable candidate to replace him at the MCG. Earlier this year, the 22-year-old Curran has made his debut for England in the limited-overs format. Young leg-spinner Mason Crane is also there in the squad as England try to avoid a 5-0 Ashes whitewash in the last two matches

Even though Australia have already secured the urn, Melbourne Cricket Ground is braced for a world-record Test crowd of more than the 91,112 who turned out for the last Ashes Boxing Day Test.

England Squad:

Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, Joe Root(c), Dawid Malan, Gary Ballance, James Vince, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Mason Crane, Ben Foakes, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Jake Ball, Craig Overton, Tom Curran

Australia Squad:

Cameron Bancroft, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith(c), Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Peter Handscomb

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 24 Dec, 2017

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