Toby Coxon
England has been dealt a significant blow on the second morning of the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval, with all-rounder Chris Woakes officially ruled out of any further participation due to a left shoulder injury.
A further assessment will take place at the end of the series 🙏 pic.twitter.com/9mzGbV5WSL
The news comes after the 36-year-old sustained a painful tumble while fielding on Day 1.
Woakes, who had just delivered a crucial opening spell and dismissed KL Rahul before his injury, landed awkwardly on his left shoulder near the boundary rope late on Thursday.
He immediately clutched his arm in visible pain and left the field, later seen with his arm in a makeshift sling.
n official statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) this morning confirmed the worst fears for stand-in captain Ollie Pope.
“England seamer Chris Woakes will continue to be monitored throughout the remainder of the fifth Rothesay Test at The Kia Oval, following a left shoulder injury sustained on day one of the match against India,”
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“At this stage, the injury has ruled him out of any further participation in the Test. A further assessment will be conducted at the conclusion of the series.”
This injury is a hammer blow for England, who are already without regular captain Ben Stokes (shoulder injury) and have rested frontline quicks Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse for this decisive match.
Woakes was the most experienced seamer in the attack, having been the only England fast bowler to feature in all five Tests of this gruelling series.
His absence leaves England effectively with three specialist pace options, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue, to navigate potentially four more days of Test cricket against a strong Indian batting line-up.
Gus Atkinson, who impressed on Day 1 with two wickets and a run-out, will now carry an even greater burden as the most senior of the remaining quicks.
The timing of the injury is particularly cruel for Woakes, who delivered a sharp spell before his unfortunate incident.
While his overall wicket haul in the series (11 wickets prior to this Test) had been modest, his experience and ability to extract movement, particularly in English conditions, were invaluable.
The incident also reignites the debate around injury substitutions in Test cricket, especially after Rishabh Pant's brave return to bat with a fractured foot for India in the previous Test.
As England pushes to seal a 3-1 series victory, they will now have to do so with one of their key all-rounders sidelined, placing immense pressure on the remaining bowlers and the batting unit.
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Toby joined The Sporting News in 2025 after completing a degree in Multimedia Sports Journalism. He has previous experience writing for online and print publications including VAVEL, Breaking Media and The Non-League Paper. He also has experience working within football clubs in previous roles at Curzon Ashton FC and Bradford City AFC.
