Ben Duckett's Injury Update: Will England Opener Come Out To Bat On Day 3 Of Multan Test?

Duckett injured himself on Day 2 [Source: Source: @Johns/X.com]

England's tour of Pakistan has started in a sour note, with the team struggling with the ball and with the injury issues. First, it was Ben Stokes, who was ruled out of the Multan Test due to hamstring issues, and now opener Ben Duckett finds himself on the injury shelf.

The star batter was unable to open the innings for England due to an injury, and now the team management are sweating on his fitness as the visitors face an uphill task against a strong Pakistan bowling lineup.

Duckett was fielding at slips, when Abrar Ahmed, the Pakistan No.11 slashed at a delivery from Joe Root and the ball struck Duckett at the tip of his thumb. He held onto the catch, but looked in agonising pain as the England physio rushed onto the field for treatment.

With Duckett injured, stand-in skipper, Ollie Pope opened the innings with Zak Crawley, but Pope failed to deliver and was dismissed cheaply. However, the English side didn't lose a single wicket after that and ended Day 2 at 96/1.

Will Duckett bat on Day 3? Here's the report

As per England spokesperson, Duckett wasn't sent for any scans and the team is hoping that the injury will settle down overnight. However, it still wasn't clear whether the aggressive batter will take part on Day 3 or not.

Duckett's absence will be a massive blow to England's quest of winning the Test match. His aggressive batting has been a revelation at the top of the order for the English team, and the last time England toured Pakistan in 2022, Duckett was the second-highest run-scorer on that tour.

England are already short on resources, with Stokes out with an injury and Olly Stone flying back to England for his wedding. The team will hope that the opener recovers overnight as they need him to push the Pakistan attack on the back-foot.

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