Ben Stokes' Hamstring Woes: A Blow to England's Test Campaign

England captain Ben Stokes suffered a hamstring injury during the third test against New Zealand, preventing him from fielding for the rest of the match. England, having won the series, need further assessments to decide if Stokes will bat. He had a similar injury earlier this season.

England captain Ben Stokes has been sidelined due to a left hamstring injury sustained during the third test against New Zealand in Hamilton. The setback occurred as Stokes was bowling on Monday, and he will not be participating in the field for the remainder of the match, the team confirmed.

The decision on Stokes' participation in England's second innings batting at Seddon Park remains pending, subject to further medical evaluations. Already triumphant in the series with victories in the first two tests, England could be chasing a world record target to sweep the series.

Stokes' demanding bowling schedule has been noted, as he completed 24 overs in New Zealand's first innings and was two balls into his 13th in the second when injured. Having suffered a similar injury during The Hundred in August, the 33-year-old hopes to recover before the one-off test against Zimbabwe in May, followed by key series against India and Australia.

(With inputs from agencies.)