England Skipper Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the 5th Test against India at The Oval due to a shoulder injury.
The absence of Stokes—who has been pivotal both with the bat and ball—has led to a dramatic reshuffling of the squad ahead of the series decider.
England’s updated playing XI includes four fresh changes, bringing in Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue to bolster the side’s depth and resilience. Veteran players Joe Root and Ollie Pope (who will captain the squad) are expected to anchor the batting unit, while Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson continue to lead the pace attack.
The revised lineup now stands as follows: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue.
With Stokes sidelined, all eyes will be on England’s restructured squad to deliver under pressure against a confident Indian side that has already shown formidable form throughout the series.
