India captain Rohit Sharma has not taken the field during the opening session on day three of the Dharamshala Test due to a stiff back.

Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah started the day with the bat for the hosts but didn’t last long as they fell to James Anderson and Shoaib Bashir, respectively. As a result, India were bowled out for 477.

India took the field with a 259-run first-innings lead but Rohit didn’t come out to marshal his troops due to a “stiff back”. Instead, his deputy, Jasprit Bumrah was entrusted to oversee things, making the necessary bowling and fielding changes.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCC) confirmed Rohit’s absence with a release on social media: “UPDATE: Captain Rohit Sharma has not taken the field on Day 3 due to a stiff back.”

UPDATE: Captain Rohit Sharma has not taken the field on Day 3 due to a stiff back.#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank

— BCCI (@BCCI) March 9, 2024

Bumrah opened the bowling with R Ashwin coming from the other end. The trick to hand Ashwin the new ball worked as the off-spinner neutralised England’s top three in the first ten overs. England were reduced to 36-3.

Earlier on day two, Rohit and Shubman Gill shone with the bat, scoring brilliant hundreds to put India in the driver’s seat as each of the top 5 batters hit at least a fifty, a new Test record for India against England.

India have been hit by numerous injuries throughout the series. Mohammed Shami (ankle injury) missed all the Tests against England. While KL Rahul missed the remaining matches after the first Test for nursing a quadricep tendon injury, Ravindra Jadeja was ruled out of the second Test due to a hamstring injury. And Rajat Patidar was unavailable for the Dharamshala Test because of a sore ankle.

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