Livingstone debut as Morgan ruled out of series

Eoin Morgan will miss the two remaining matches of the one-day series against India because of a hand injury.

The England captain wore strapping yesterday, but could not make it through training. He split the webbing in his right hand fielding during the first match on Tuesday, which India won.

England, whose No1 ranking is on the line, will also be without Sam Billings for the second match today in Pune. Billings bruised his shoulder fielding in the opening game. Dawid Malan has been drafted into the squad as cover.

England confirmed Morgan’s absence would mean a one-day international debut for Liam Livingstone. Jos Buttler will be captain.

“I had the hand re-dressed before the start of training, but it quickly became apparent that I found myself protecting the injury and getting into the wrong positions to catch the ball,” said Morgan.

“There’s nowhere to hide on the field, especially in limited-over formats, so it didn’t require any great thought to make myself unavailable.

“It was a freak injury and it’s extremely frustrating. It’s now just a case of letting the cut heal. I have every confidence in Jos and the rest of the squad coping without me.”

Livingstone played two Twenty20s against South Africa in 2017 but has not made an England appearance since, finding it hard to break into strong batting line-ups in all white-ball formats.

“This is not just any old team you are trying to get into,” the Lancastrian said. “They are world champions – they are probably the best white-ball side in the world, so it is not just something you walk into.

“I guess being around the group, it makes you feel more familiar and more comfortable about playing for England. I have really enjoyed my time around the group, and it’s my turn now to go out and perform for England.”