England dealt huge Stokes blow ahead of final Test

England captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the fifth and final Test against India with a right shoulder injury.

Ollie Pope, who bats at No.3, will replace Stokes as captain for the Test at The Oval in London, the England and Wales Cricket Board said.

Play will begin on Thursday, with India trailing 2-1 in the series and needing a win to draw.

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Stokes said he expected to be sidelined for up to seven weeks, which should in no way impact his participation in the Ashes series in Australia.

But he felt it was clearly too risky playing one more Test against India.

"It is one of those of weighing up the risk-reward, and the risk was way too high for damaging this any further than it currently is," he said.

"I wouldn't expect to put any of my players at risk with an injury like this. Once this series is done, I was feet up anyway, (so) it doesn't really make too much difference to what I've got from the end of the series up until the winter."

England will be counting on Stokes to help wrestle back the Ashes urn from Australia, which has held it since 2018.

England has not won the Ashes since 2015 and has not won the Ashes in Australia since 2011.

The 34-year-old Stokes was back to his inspirational best as an all-rounder in last week's drawn fourth Test, taking five wickets against India with some brilliant, hostile and accurate spells, and finding his batting form again with an authoritative knock of 141 for his long-awaited 14th Test century.

He became England's fourth player to get five wickets and a century in a Test.

Stokes is the leading wicket-taker across both teams with 17 — three more than Indian pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, with a lower average than both.

But bowling long spells clearly took its toll on Stokes, who has struggled with injuries in recent years.

He was hit by a bout of cramp on day three.

The intensity of the series so far has led to fatigue and injuries on both sides.

India's batting star Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the fifth Test with a foot fracture. He made 54 in the fourth Test, despite playing with the injury.

England will also be without pacers Jofra Archer — who only recently returned to Test cricket after more than four years out — and Brydon Carse. Spinner Liam Dawson is also left out in one of four changes.

Jacob Bethell replaces Stokes at No.6 in the batting line-up, while Gus Atkinson returns to bolster England's attack, along with Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue.

The 21-year-old Bethell has been regarded as one of the brightest talents in English cricket for many years, with a batting average of 52 from this three Tests so far and a highest score of 96. He is also a useful left-arm spinner.