England will field without their captain Ben Stokes in the fifth and last India vs England Test at The Oval, following the official ruling out of the player after suffering a serious biceps tendon injury. Vice-captain Ollie Pope will lead the team, with England undergoing changes in their team with several changes as a result of injuries and player workload management.
Stokes Suffers Grade Three Biceps Tear
Ben Stokes injured his right biceps tendon with a grade-three tear after bowling 11 agonizing overs on the last day of the Manchester Test. Early hopes that he would be fit in time were dashed by medical examination, which confirmed the severity of the injury, excluding him for Thursday’s encounter at The Oval.
Stokes has played a crucial role in the series thus far, topping the wicket tally with 17 wickets, notching a century in Manchester, and gaining Player of the Match in the past two Tests. England is a big loser with his absence, particularly before the Ashes series in the latter half of this year.
England Squad Experiences Four Changes for Last Test
With Ben Stokes not being available, England have brought in four important changes to their playing XI for the last Test of the India vs England series:
In: Jacob Bethell, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue
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Out: Ben Stokes (injury), Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse (the duo rested), Liam Dawson (dropped)
Veteran all-rounder Chris Woakes continues to be in the team and will now captain a young, mostly inexperienced pace attack that includes Atkinson, Overton, and Tongue.
Ollie Pope to Captain England for the Fifth Time
Surrey batsman Ollie Pope will captain the England team for the fifth time in his Test career. His understanding of the conditions at The Oval is considered a tactical boost, given that Jacob Bethell is likely to cover the all-rounder gap created by Stokes.
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Bowling Attack: Seam-Focused Strategy at The Oval
While Bethell provides the spin alternative with Joe Root, the Oval pitch is likely to benefit seamers. It has been reported with an obvious grass cover, and England’s tactics have adopted the same view, without a frontline spinner in the mix.
Gus Atkinson makes his return from a hamstring injury that had kept him out of action since May, having demonstrated his fitness by playing in a recent second XI match for Surrey. Jamie Overton gets his second Test cap after three years, while Josh Tongue returns after sitting out the last two Tests.
England Playing XI for 5th Test vs India
Zak Crawley
Ben Duckett
Ollie Pope (captain)
Joe Root
Harry Brook
Jacob Bethell
Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper)
Chris Woakes
Gus Atkinson
Jamie Overton
Josh Tongue
Rest and Rotation: Archer and Carse Set Aside
Both Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse have been rested because of the workload in the previous Tests. The team management has taken a precautionary route, keeping their fitness intact for the next cricketing calendar, which features the Ashes and T20 World Cup.
What Stokes’ Absence Means for England
Ben Stokes’ injury could severely damage England’s balance and confidence going into the last India vs England Test match. The all-rounder, aggressive captain, and match winner could never be replicated. The situation is so tenuous with the series hanging in the balance, and there would also have to be reliance on younger players and depth options to replicate Stokes’ impact and skill set.
The unavailability of Ben Stokes for the last game of the India-England Test series poses a huge headache for England. But it also provides a chance for up-and-coming players such as Jacob Bethell and Gus Atkinson to establish themselves. With seam-friendly conditions on the cards in The Oval, the world would be watching what this new England XI does under pressure against a strong Indian team.
