England captain Ben Stokes will miss the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval due to a right shoulder injury. With the series on the line, this is a huge blow for the hosts. Vice-captain Ollie Pope will take over the captaincy as England looks to seal the series at 3-1.
Massive Loss: Stokes Was England’s Game-Changer
Stokes has been England’s most valuable player in the series, winning Player of the Match awards in both the third and fourth Tests. He’s scored 304 runs—including a century in Manchester—and taken 17 wickets, the most by any bowler so far, at an average of 25.24 with one five-wicket haul.
During the fourth Test, he was visibly struggling while bowling long spells after India’s marathon 143-over innings. Stokes bowled 35 overs in the match and was later seen clutching his shoulder in pain.
“I’ve got a decent tear in one of the muscles—I can’t even pronounce it,” Stokes told reporters. “We held off as long as possible, but the risk of making it worse was just too high. I wouldn’t want to put any of the other guys in that situation either.”
England Announce Playing XI with Four Changes
England has made four changes to the playing XI for the final Test. Apart from Stokes, pacers Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse are out, as is spinner Liam Dawson. New inclusions include Surrey’s Jacob Bethell, who’ll bat at No.6, along with fast bowlers Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue.
England XI for 5th Test vs India:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (capt), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue.
What’s at Stake: India’s Oval Struggles Continue
England currently leads the series 2-1. They won the first Test in Leeds and edged out India in a thriller at Lord’s. India’s only win came in Birmingham, where they delivered a dominant 336-run victory under Shubman Gill.
The Oval hasn’t been kind to India historically. Out of 15 Tests at the venue, India has won only twice—once in 1971 under Ajit Wadekar and again in 2021 under Virat Kohli.
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