Injured Jos Buttler flies home ahead of fifth Ashes Test

Jan 09, 2022

Injured Jos Buttler flies home ahead of fifth Ashes Test Image

Jos Buttler will fly home ahead of the fifth and final Test match of the ongoing Ashes series, slated to begin on 14 January in Hobart, due to a finger injury he suffered on Day 2 of the Sydney Test. England have already added Sam Billings, who had been playing in the BBL, to the squad. 

'Jos Buttler is going to be going home, it's quite a bad injury. It's a real disappointing shame for him and for the team. But it's part and parcel of playing Test cricket,' said Joe Root in the post-match presentations. 

Ollie Pope kept wickets in the second innings, and took four catches. However, Buttler came out to bat with a broken left index finger, scoring 0 and 11.

There's no certainty over Jonny Bairstow either. Bairstow had copped a blow in his finger en route his 113 in the first innings. Ben Stokes is also nursing a stiff thigh, and may play as a specialist batter in the next game. 

England survived the final day to save the fourth Test match. Stokes and Zak Crawley scored fifties on the last day.