England skipper Joe Root misses training in Port Elizabeth due to illness

Ahead of the third Test against South Africa, England skipper Joe Root has missed the training here on Sunday due to illness.

Root is the latest member of the squad to be struck down on a tour that has been dogged by illness and injury. It is unclear at this stage whether the episode is related to the sickness bug that decimated the team during the first Test but, bearing in mind how persistent and contagious that proved, the management will be taking every precaution in ensuring no cross-contamination, ESPNcricinfo reported.

The management is hopeful of Root returning to the training on Monday.

Meanwhile, Mark Wood said that both Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes are ahead of him when it comes to team selection for the upcoming third Test against South Africa. Wood was England's second-highest wicket-taker at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019 after picking up 18 wickets from ten matches.

"I will be putting my name in the hat for this next game. It will be up to the management whether I've bowled enough and am ready to go. But if they were to look at my style of bowling and think it could be beneficial then my name is in the hat," International Cricket Council (ICC) quoted Wood as saying.

"If I am honest I think Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes are ahead of me in the pecking order. But I would love to think this is my period of time, where I have got through those hard times, and now I can kick on," he added.

England, four-match series, has leveled the series 1-1 after winning the second Test by 189 runs in Cape Town. The third Test will be played at St George's Park Cricket Ground in Port Elizabeth from January 16.