The England cricket team have been dealt a body blow as captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the fifth and final Test of the ongoing series against India.

Ben Stokes, who has won the Player of the Match (POTM) award in the Lord's and Manchester Test, will not play against India in the final Test of the series at the Oval. Ollie Pope will lead the English team in the absence of the regular captain.

Ben Stokes will miss the Oval Test against England due to a shoulder injury as the hosts make four changes for the match against India. Along with Stokes, Jofra Archer has also been rested for the match against India.

England captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the fifth and deciding Test against India with a shoulder injury in a devastating blow for the home side.

England captain Ben Stokes was Wednesday ruled out of the fifth and deciding Test against India with a shoulder injury.

England have made four changes to their playing XI for the fifth Test vs India, wth skipper Ben Stokes and star pacer Jofra Archer missing out. The hosts are leading the series 2-1 and will aim to secure an outright victory.

A roller-coaster of a test cricket series between England and India is, fittingly, going down to the wire. India salvaged an against-the-odds draw in the fourth test with a show of grit and sheer defiance at Old Trafford on Sunday,

England and India head to the Oval for the decisive fifth and final Test of a hard-fought campaign on Thursday, with both teams battling mental and physical fatigue.

England travel to the Oval with the series still on the line after a draw at Old Trafford. Our cricket experts pick the XI they would like to see take on India in the fifth Test.

England are considering freshening up their entire seam attack for this week’s decisive fifth Test against India at The Oval. The hosts spent 257 overs in the field during the drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford that keeps the series alive going into the finale in London.