England Receive Massive Blow Ahead of 5th Test

England will play the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval, London from July 31 for a thrilling showdown. England are currently leading the five-match series 2-1 after the fourth Test ended in a draw. England will be looking to win the series with a win at The Oval, while India will be eyeing a tie in the series.
In a major setback, the hosts will be without their captain Ben Stokes. He has been ruled out due to a biceps tendon injury in his right arm. Ollie Pope will lead the team in his absence. This will be Pope’s fifth time as England’s Test captain. However, it will be a big test of his leadership skills at such a critical moment.

Ben Stokes Injury Rules Him Out of 5th Test

Stokes’ injury is a big blow to the team. He has been England’s top performer in the series. He is the highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets. He also scored a brilliant century in the last Test in Manchester, which came after a gap of 8 years. Stokes was named Player of the Match in the last two Tests. But he hurt his arm while bowling on the final day of the fourth Test, which also hurt England's chances.

Stokes managed to bowl 11 overs but looked in pain. Scans later showed that he had a grade three tear in his biceps. The England captain had said after the match that he would try to play the final Test. But the injury turned out to be more serious than expected. It is also a personal setback for him, after missing games last year due to hamstring injuries. His fitness will now be closely assessed ahead of the Ashes later this year.

England Playing 11 for 5th Test: Hosts Make Four Changes

England have made four changes to the team from the Manchester Test. Jacob Bethell, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue have all been brought in. Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse have been rested as the selectors want to take care of their bowling workload. Liam Dawson has been left out of the squad.

Chris Woakes has kept his place in the team. He will lead a young and less experienced fast-bowling attack. The seamers in the team are Woakes, Atkinson, Overton, and Tongue. Atkinson is returning from a hamstring injury. He proved his fitness by playing for Surrey’s second team last week. Overton will play his second Test. His last appearance was three years ago. Tongue is back after missing the third and fourth Tests.

Jacob Bethell will take Stokes’ spot in the batting order. He is also expected to be England’s main spin-bowling option in this match. Joe Root can also bowl spin if needed. However, spin may not play a big role at The Oval. The pitch had a lot of grass on it during inspection on Wednesday. In recent County Championship matches at The Oval, Surrey have rarely used a front-line spinner.

Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith has retained his place. He made his Test debut earlier in the series. England’s batting order remains mostly the same, with Crawley and Duckett opening. Joe Root and Harry Brook will support the middle order.

1. Zak Crawley
2. Ben Duckett
3. Ollie Pope (captain)
4. Joe Root
5. Harry Brook
6. Jacob Bethell
7. Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper)
8. Chris Woakes
9. Gus Atkinson
10. Jamie Overton
11. Josh Tongue