Bairstow leaves field with injury

England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow fractured a finger and was forced from the field after a painful blow to the hand early on day three of the third Test against India in Nottingham.

Bairstow was sent for X-rays on his left hand after being struck on the end of his middle finger by a James Anderson delivery.

The blow caused the 28-year-old to double over in pain before he quickly headed for the Trent Bridge dressing room with his hand covered.

An X-ray revealed he had suffered a small fracture to his left middle finger.

"It wobbled and I just copped it on the end," said Bairstow. "It is a fracture but it's not displaced and that is a big thing."

Fellow gloveman Jos Buttler, who has kept wicket in 15 Tests for England, then took over behind the stumps from his teammate.

England have no shortage of ‘keeping options in their current Test XI, with another option in Ollie Pope also in the side, but they will be sweating on No.5 batsman Bairstow’s ability to bat in their second innings in Trent Bridge.

The 28-year-old flame-haired Yorkshireman is expected to be able to bat, but his participation in next week's fourth Test remains uncertain.

England were bowled out for 161 on day two of the third Test, well shy of India’s first-innings total of 329, and are 0-23 in their second dig chasing a world record score to win the series..

India captain Virat Kohli's second century of the series strengthened his side's iron grip on the third Test. 

Kohli, who fell for 97 in India's first innings, top-scored with 103 as the tourists, looking to bounce back from 2-0 down in a five-match contest, piled up a total of 7-352 declared.

That left England needing a mammoth 521 for victory, albeit with more than two days to get the runs.