England Test captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval due to a grade three shoulder muscle tear, as reported by The Guardian. In his absence, Ollie Pope will step in as stand-in captain for the Three Lions in the series decider of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025.
The injury comes as a blow to England, especially after Stokes’ impactful performances earlier in the series. Jacob Bethell has been named as his replacement and will be making his Test debut against India on Thursday.
England have made four changes in total for the Oval Test. All-rounder Liam Dawson has been dropped, while fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse have been rested to manage workloads ahead of the Ashes 2025 this winter.
Coming into the playing XI are:
- Gus Atkinson
- Jamie Overton
- Josh Tongue
These changes are aimed at adding fresh pace options to England’s attack for the final showdown.
England Squad for 5th Test vs India (The Oval):
- Zak Crawley
- Ben Duckett
- Ollie Pope (captain)
- Joe Root
- Harry Brook
- Jacob Bethell
- Jamie Smith (wk)
- Chris Woakes
- Gus Atkinson
- Jamie Overton
- Josh Tongue
Stokes to Return for Ashes Series
While his absence will be felt in the final Test, the England management is confident that Stokes will recover in time for the Ashes 2025, scheduled later this year. The extended recovery period should allow the all-rounder to regain full fitness ahead of the high-stakes battle against Australia.