**LONDON, July 2025** — England Test captain **Ben Stokes** has been ruled out of the fifth and final Test against India at **The Oval** due to a **shoulder injury**, but the all-rounder has reassured fans that he will be **fit in time for the Ashes tour in Australia** later this year.
Stokes suffered the injury during the fourth Test at **Old Trafford**, which ended in a draw, and with only a four-day gap before the next match, the England team opted to rest him. “It’s all about weighing up the **risk versus reward**,” Stokes said. “I didn’t want to make it worse and jeopardize the Ashes.”
### Stokes to Be Sidelined for Six to Seven Weeks
The 33-year-old expects to be out for just **six to seven weeks**, which aligns with the team’s post-series break before the Ashes. He emphasized that the injury will not affect his long-term plans and stated, “Once the series ends, I was taking some time off anyway.”
### Ollie Pope to Captain; England Makes Several Changes
**Ollie Pope** will lead the side in Stokes’ absence, while **Jacob Bethell** comes in at number six. England has also made major changes to their bowling attack:
* **Out**: Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Liam Dawson
* **In**: Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue
* **Chris Woakes** retains his place, playing all five Tests in the series.
**England’s XI for the 5th Test vs India**:
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’ Heroics in Old Trafford Test
Despite his injury, Stokes played a key role at Old Trafford:
* **5-72** in India’s first innings
* **141 runs** with the bat
This made him only the **fourth English player in history** to score a century and take five wickets in the same Test.
“I don’t regret anything. I play to win and give it my all. Injuries happen—that’s just part of being a professional,” he said.
### England’s Bowling Depth Tested
The absence of several first-choice bowlers leaves **England’s seam attack stretched**. Josh Tongue has 11 wickets from the first two Tests, while Overton returns after limited recent action due to injury. Gus Atkinson, also coming back from a hamstring issue, last bowled competitively in a **Surrey second XI match** last week.
With **no specialist spinner selected**, part-timers **Joe Root and Jacob Bethell** are expected to fill that role.
### India’s Squad Updates
India, trailing **2–1 in the series**, are expected to play without:
* **Rishabh Pant** (fractured foot)
* **Jasprit Bumrah**, who was only scheduled to play three Tests
The final Test offers India a chance to **level the series**, while England aims to secure a historic home win.
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