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Ben Stokes injury removes some lustre from deciding Oval duel

Ben Stokes injury removes some lustre from deciding Oval duel

Times30-07-2025
T he signs did not look good. On a cool, overcast Oval morning, Ben Stokes walked out to the middle but did not bother to unpack his kitbag. He watched his players practise in the nets for a while and then strolled back to the pavilion, shortly before announcing that he would miss the final Test against India with a significant tear of a shoulder muscle. His summer is over.
Stokes's leadership and his return to top form as an all-rounder — he was man of the match at Old Trafford for his first hundred and first five-wicket haul in Tests for two years and eight years respectively — means his absence is a huge blow as England look to claim their biggest scalp of the Bazball era, and gives India another boost after their successful rearguard action in Manchester.
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