Massive setback for England as Ben Stokes ruled out of crucial 5th Test vs India, THIS star player to lead

In a major blow to England's hopes of winning the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, captain and star all-rounder Ben Stokes has been officially ruled out of the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed today, just a day before the crucial series decider, that Stokes will miss the match due to a right shoulder injury.

England, who now lead the five-match series 2-1, has suffered a serious blow with Stokes' absence. The explosive all-rounder, who hit 141 runs and claimed six wickets in the drawn fourth Test in Manchester, was named Player of the Match. The injury was probably made worse by his workload during that game, where he bowled a lot in spite of discomfort. He has reportedly suffered a Grade 3 muscle tear.

“I’m obviously disappointed. I’ve got a decent tear in the right shoulder. Weighing up the risk and reward and the risk was way too high for the damage caused. I’ll start rehabbing now and start to focus on what we have coming up in the winter,” Stokes said on missing out on the fifth Test.

In Stokes' absence, Ollie Pope will take over the captaincy for England. The team has also announced significant changes to their playing XI, with four alterations from the last match. Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, and Liam Dawson are also missing from the line-up, making way for Jacob Bethell, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue. Jacob Bethell is expected to bat at number six.

For India, who want to tie the series at The Oval, this news is a huge boost. The fact that England is without their lucky captain adds even more intrigue to the already highly anticipated match.

England’s playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, ⁠Ollie Pope (c), ⁠Joe Root, ⁠Harry Brook, ⁠Jacob Bethell, ⁠Jamie Smith (wk), ⁠Chris Woakes, ⁠Gus Atkinson, ⁠Jamie Overton, ⁠Josh Tongue.

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