England captain Ben Stokes out of India series decider
LONDON: England captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the fifth and deciding Test against India with a shoulder injury in a devastating blow for the home side. The England and Wales Cricket Board said vice-captain Ollie Pope would lead the team in the match at the Oval starting Thursday, with England 2-1 up in the series.
All-rounder Stokes has struggled with various fitness issues in the four Tests against India so far, during which he has sent down 140 overs—the most he has bowled in any series. The 34-year-old, who is the leading wicket-taker on either side with 17 scalps, has injured his right shoulder, his bowling arm, and it is understood he could need up to 10 weeks to recover.
'I am obviously disappointed to not be able to finish the series,' an emotional Stokes told reporters on Wednesday. He added: 'I have got a decent tear of one of the (shoulder) muscles I can't pronounce. 'A bit of emotion goes into this kind of stuff when you find out what you have done—bowling was ruled out as soon as we got the scan results.'
The drawn fourth match of the series at Old Trafford, which ended on Sunday, was a personal triumph for Stokes, who became just the fourth England cricketer to score a hundred and take five wickets in the same Test.
But that came at a cost as the talismanic all-rounder, whose career has been blighted by hamstring trouble, struggled with a number of fitness issues. The tourists lost just four wickets in their second innings as they batted out a marathon 143 overs to keep the series alive.
'Give everything'
Stokes, asked if he could have done any more to manage his workload, replied: 'No, not at all. When I'm out on the field I play to win and give everything I possibly can. 'If I feel there's a moment in a game where I need to put everything I'm feeling aside I'll do that because it's how much this team means to me, how much playing for England means to me, how much winning means to me.
'There's absolutely nothing I could have done before. Being a professional sportsman, injuries are part of this game and I can't do anything about that.' Players on both sides looked exhausted after the fourth Test during a series in which five matches have been squeezed into a period of less than seven weeks.
Stokes suggested perhaps the gaps between games could be longer, adding: 'It has been tough for both teams. It's been a lot of overs for bowlers.' England do not play Test cricket again until they face Australia in the first match of the Ashes tour in late November, with Stokes considered central to their hopes of regaining the urn.
He said his decision to miss the India finale in London had been based on a simple calculation. 'It was more of 'What's the risk here?', he explained. 'What's the worst possible thing that could happen with where this injury is at to where it could head to? Hearing where it could head to was not something that was worth taking a risk on.'
England have made four changes to their team at the Oval as they attempt to wrap up the series. Spin-bowling all-rounder Jacob Bethell makes his first Test appearance of 2025, effectively as a replacement for Stokes. Pacemen Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton all come into the side, with Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse rested. Liam Dawson has been dropped after just one match, with England opting to play without a specialist spinner, entrusting slow-bowling duties to Bethell and Joe Root.
Earlier, India head coach Gautam Gambhir was involved in an angry exchange with Surrey's head groundsman at the Oval ahead of Thursday's final Test against England—the latest incident during an increasingly tetchy tour. Ben Stokes' team are resting ahead of the decisive fifth Test but the tourists were practicing in the nets as they attempt to salvage a 2-2 draw.
Gambhir was seen sharing terse words with Lee Fortis, Surrey's lead curator at the London ground. The 58-Test veteran was caught on camera wagging his finger as Fortis towered over him, repeatedly stating: 'You can't tell us what to do' and 'You don't tell any of us what to do'. Gambhir can also be heard adding: 'You're just the groundsman, nothing beyond.'
Fortis is understood to have been keeping a protective eye on the playing area during India's practice, with plenty of cricket still to be played on it this season. After walking away in conversation with India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, who appeared to take on the role of mediator, Fortis told Gambhir he may be forced to lodge a complaint against him, drawing a response of: 'You can go and report to whoever you want'.
It is unclear whether India have concerns over the pitch, which is expected to provide greater pace and bounce than has been seen in the previous four matches, potentially favoring England's quick bowlers. The home team's attack has struggled for penetration at times, including in India's second innings at Old Trafford, where the bowlers took just four wickets in 143 overs as the fourth Test ended in a draw on Sunday.
The series has become increasingly heated, with the tourists refusing to shake hands on a draw early in Manchester to allow Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja to reach centuries, a decision that angered England. India captain Shubman Gill accused England of ignoring the 'spirit of cricket' with time-wasting tactics in the third Test at Lord's, where India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj was fined for the aggressive 'send-off' he gave to Ben Duckett.
England are expected to make changes after the draw in Manchester, particularly to their bowling line-up, with just three days' rest between matches. India have suffered a major blow in losing Rishabh Pant, who sustained a fracture to his right foot in Manchester. The wicketkeeper-batsman, who scored 479 runs in the series at an average of 68.42 has been replaced in the squad by Narayan Jagadeesan.
The visitors also need to make a decision on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who has played three Tests so far—the maximum team bosses said he would feature in before the series started. Gambhir has said all of his quicks are fit for the finale. – AFP
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Kuwait Times
4 days ago
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England captain Ben Stokes out of India series decider
India coach Gambhir clashes with Oval staff ahead of final Test LONDON: England captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the fifth and deciding Test against India with a shoulder injury in a devastating blow for the home side. The England and Wales Cricket Board said vice-captain Ollie Pope would lead the team in the match at the Oval starting Thursday, with England 2-1 up in the series. All-rounder Stokes has struggled with various fitness issues in the four Tests against India so far, during which he has sent down 140 overs—the most he has bowled in any series. The 34-year-old, who is the leading wicket-taker on either side with 17 scalps, has injured his right shoulder, his bowling arm, and it is understood he could need up to 10 weeks to recover. 'I am obviously disappointed to not be able to finish the series,' an emotional Stokes told reporters on Wednesday. He added: 'I have got a decent tear of one of the (shoulder) muscles I can't pronounce. 'A bit of emotion goes into this kind of stuff when you find out what you have done—bowling was ruled out as soon as we got the scan results.' The drawn fourth match of the series at Old Trafford, which ended on Sunday, was a personal triumph for Stokes, who became just the fourth England cricketer to score a hundred and take five wickets in the same Test. But that came at a cost as the talismanic all-rounder, whose career has been blighted by hamstring trouble, struggled with a number of fitness issues. The tourists lost just four wickets in their second innings as they batted out a marathon 143 overs to keep the series alive. 'Give everything' Stokes, asked if he could have done any more to manage his workload, replied: 'No, not at all. When I'm out on the field I play to win and give everything I possibly can. 'If I feel there's a moment in a game where I need to put everything I'm feeling aside I'll do that because it's how much this team means to me, how much playing for England means to me, how much winning means to me. 'There's absolutely nothing I could have done before. Being a professional sportsman, injuries are part of this game and I can't do anything about that.' Players on both sides looked exhausted after the fourth Test during a series in which five matches have been squeezed into a period of less than seven weeks. Stokes suggested perhaps the gaps between games could be longer, adding: 'It has been tough for both teams. It's been a lot of overs for bowlers.' England do not play Test cricket again until they face Australia in the first match of the Ashes tour in late November, with Stokes considered central to their hopes of regaining the urn. He said his decision to miss the India finale in London had been based on a simple calculation. 'It was more of 'What's the risk here?', he explained. 'What's the worst possible thing that could happen with where this injury is at to where it could head to? Hearing where it could head to was not something that was worth taking a risk on.' England have made four changes to their team at the Oval as they attempt to wrap up the series. Spin-bowling all-rounder Jacob Bethell makes his first Test appearance of 2025, effectively as a replacement for Stokes. Pacemen Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton all come into the side, with Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse rested. Liam Dawson has been dropped after just one match, with England opting to play without a specialist spinner, entrusting slow-bowling duties to Bethell and Joe Root. Earlier, India head coach Gautam Gambhir was involved in an angry exchange with Surrey's head groundsman at the Oval ahead of Thursday's final Test against England—the latest incident during an increasingly tetchy tour. Ben Stokes' team are resting ahead of the decisive fifth Test but the tourists were practicing in the nets as they attempt to salvage a 2-2 draw. Gambhir was seen sharing terse words with Lee Fortis, Surrey's lead curator at the London ground. The 58-Test veteran was caught on camera wagging his finger as Fortis towered over him, repeatedly stating: 'You can't tell us what to do' and 'You don't tell any of us what to do'. Gambhir can also be heard adding: 'You're just the groundsman, nothing beyond.' Fortis is understood to have been keeping a protective eye on the playing area during India's practice, with plenty of cricket still to be played on it this season. After walking away in conversation with India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, who appeared to take on the role of mediator, Fortis told Gambhir he may be forced to lodge a complaint against him, drawing a response of: 'You can go and report to whoever you want'. It is unclear whether India have concerns over the pitch, which is expected to provide greater pace and bounce than has been seen in the previous four matches, potentially favoring England's quick bowlers. The home team's attack has struggled for penetration at times, including in India's second innings at Old Trafford, where the bowlers took just four wickets in 143 overs as the fourth Test ended in a draw on Sunday. The series has become increasingly heated, with the tourists refusing to shake hands on a draw early in Manchester to allow Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja to reach centuries, a decision that angered England. India captain Shubman Gill accused England of ignoring the 'spirit of cricket' with time-wasting tactics in the third Test at Lord's, where India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj was fined for the aggressive 'send-off' he gave to Ben Duckett. England are expected to make changes after the draw in Manchester, particularly to their bowling line-up, with just three days' rest between matches. India have suffered a major blow in losing Rishabh Pant, who sustained a fracture to his right foot in Manchester. The wicketkeeper-batsman, who scored 479 runs in the series at an average of 68.42 has been replaced in the squad by Narayan Jagadeesan. The visitors also need to make a decision on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who has played three Tests so far—the maximum team bosses said he would feature in before the series started. Gambhir has said all of his quicks are fit for the finale. – AFP
Kuwait Times
5 days ago
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India have not ruled out Bumrah for final test
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6 days ago
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Sundar and Jadeja follow Gill's lead as defiant India draw 4th Test with England
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