Jonny Bairstow remains hopeful he will be able to bat again for England in the third Test against India despite suffering a fractured finger on day three at Trent Bridge.
The England wicketkeeper played little part in the action on Monday after taking a blow to his left hand when attempting to take a James Anderson delivery. However, a scan showed Bairstow's middle finger had suffered only a small fracture and, while he had a watching brief for the remainder of the day, the Yorkshireman believes he could yet play a part in England's second innings.
The host reached the close on 23-0 but will resume still requiring a mammoth 498 runs to secure an unlikely win, in the process wrapping up the five-match series.
"We are hopeful a bit more ice overnight and some more protection on my hand will help," said Bairstow. "We are going to see how it is in the morning. It is a fracture, but it is not displaced, so that is a big thing. [The ball] wobbled and I just copped it on the end. It is part and parcel of this job. The first 30 seconds were horrendous," he said.
While Bairstow was nursing his injured finger, India's Cheteshwar Pujara returned to form with a knock of 72 as he shared in a third-wicket partnership with Virat Kohli, who made 103, that set up their side’s declaration just before stumps.
Pujara told Sky Sports: "I haven't scored too many this season. In county cricket, I thought I was batting well but didn't score too many [for Yorkshire]. It is good to be among the runs. I was confident enough that a big one was coming soon. I missed out on a hundred but I am pleased to get 72."
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