England captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the fifth and final Test against India due to a right shoulder injury. The match begins on Thursday, July 31, at The Oval in London. In his absence, vice-captain Ollie Pope will lead the team.
Stokes has been one of England’s top performers in the series. He has taken 17 wickets the most by any bowler and scored 304 runs, including a century in the fourth Test at Manchester. That match ended in a draw, keeping England 2-1 ahead in the five-match series.
Speaking on Wednesday, Stokes said, “I have a decent tear in my right shoulder. The risk of playing was too high, so I’ll now begin rehab and focus on the winter season.”
England Add 4 New Players for 5th Test
England will also miss spinner Liam Dawson, and pace bowlers Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse. Dawson returned to Tests after eight years but took just one wicket. Archer claimed nine wickets in two games, while Carse played all four Tests, picking up nine wickets and scoring a fifty.
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Four players have been added to the team: Jacob Bethell, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue. Bethell will bat at No.6 and is England’s only specialist spinner. Atkinson and Overton return as pace options, while Tongue, who played the first two Tests, is back after missing the last two.
England’s Playing XI for IND vs ENG Fifth Test:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue.
India will aim to level the series 2-2, while England will look to seal the series with a win. The final Test promises to be thriller despite Stokes’ absence.
