England Make Major Changes for Final Test Against India as Ben Stokes Ruled Out

England have made sweeping changes to their squad for the fifth and final Test against India, starting on July 31 at The Oval. The biggest blow for the home side is the absence of captain Ben Stokes, who has been ruled out with a right shoulder injury. Stokes got injured during the fourth Test. He had an impressive performance, taking five wickets in the first innings and scoring a solid 141 runs. Although he had earlier expressed optimism about playing the final Test, a scan revealed a significant tear in his shoulder, making it too risky for him to continue. In his absence, Ollie Pope will lead the team as stand-in captain.

England’s playing XI has seen a major overhaul, particularly in the bowling department. After spending over 250 overs in the field during the previous match, the selectors opted to rest several bowlers. Chris Woakes is the only bowler left from the last match, while Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, and Liam Dawson have been dropped. To strengthen the pace assault, the club welcomes back Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue, and Gus Atkinson. Atkinson returns after recovering from a hamstring injury sustained in May during the Test against Zimbabwe, while Tongue, who played in the first two Tests, makes his comeback. Jacob Bethell replaces Dawson and is expected to lead the spin duties alongside Joe Root. Jamie Smith has also been named in the XI and will handle wicketkeeping responsibilities.

The final XI for England includes Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue. This fresh lineup comes at a critical point in the series, with England holding a 2-1 lead heading into the final match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The last Test in Manchester ended in a draw, and both teams are determined to finish the series on a high note. For England, winning the series would certainly give them a boost in the ICC World Test Championship rankings; for India, winning the last match would mean they level the series and also give them a further push in their WTC campaign.

India are likely to keep the same combination of players, and the core of the team includes Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin. The bowling unit can be relied upon to be consistent, but the middle order will be under pressure to perform well in this Test match. The result of this match will be consequential in that, as well as influencing the series result, both teams will want to impress the WTC.

In what has been a fiercely contested and interesting series, tennis fans should be looking forward to a fitting finale with everything to play for.