Ben Stokes out of England's fifth Test against India with shoulder injury

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

Ollie Pope will replace Stokes as captain for the conclusion to the action-packed series at The Oval in London, with 21-year-old Jacob Bethell returning to the batting line-up for the first time this year.

Play begins on Thursday night (AEST), with India trailing 2-1 in the series and needing a win to draw.

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

India coach caught in ugly tirade at The Oval Photo shows GxBwBgfW8AAcQ5- Gautam Gambhir is caught on video berating grounds staff at The Oval after he was asked to stay off the pitch.

The 34-year-old said after the drawn fourth Test he was "very unlikely" to miss the Anderson-Tendulkar finale, but on match-day eve said it was too risky to play.

"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 [English] winter."

The first Test against Australia starts in Perth on November 21 and England will be counting on Stokes to help win back the urn from Australia for the first time since 2015, and win their first series in Australia since 2011.

2025-26 Ashes schedule First Test: November 21-25 at Perth Stadium

November 21-25 at Perth Stadium Second Test: December 4-8 at the Gabba (day-night)

December 4-8 at the Gabba (day-night) Third Test: December 17-21 at Adelaide Oval

December 17-21 at Adelaide Oval Fourth Test: December 26-30 at MCG

December 26-30 at MCG Fifth Test: January 4-8 at SCG

Stokes was named player of the match in last week's drawn fourth Test, taking six wickets against India with some hostile and accurate spells, and scoring his long-awaited 14th Test century, over two years since his last.

He said after the game he told his players "pain is just an emotion" but bowling long spells clearly took its toll on Stokes, in his first series back from a torn hamstring, battling a biceps issue and clutching at his right shoulder repeatedly.

England is also resting seamers Jofra Archer — who only recently returned to Test cricket after more than four years out — and Brydon Carse, while spinner Liam Dawson was left out in one of four changes.

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Gus Atkinson returns to bolster England's attack, along with Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue rounding out an inexperienced pace trio to back up Chris Woakes.

The fourth Test ended with tensions between the teams, with Stokes saying his opposite number Shubman Gill should have accepted his offer of a draw with the match heading toward an inevitable stalemate.

But Gill chose to wait until Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar — whose watchful and stubborn long partnership helped save the Test — had completed their centuries.

In the lead-up to the final match, India head coach Gautam Gambhir clashed with the Oval's lead curator, Lee Fortis.

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AP

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