The final and pivotal showdown between India and England is set to ignite at London's Oval on July 31. Yet, before this showdown, the English cricket team encountered a significant setback. Captain Ben Stokes, sidelined by a right shoulder injury, will not participate in this Test. Similarly, Archer won't be appearing in this match either. The absence of both players spells substantial losses for England.
Remarkably, Ben Stokes' performance throughout the series has been stellar as an all-rounder. He scored 304 runs at an average of 43.42 in 7 innings across 4 Test matches, including a century, with a top score of 141, hitting 3 sixes and 31 fours. Additionally, his brisk bowling earned 17 wickets, with his best bowling figures recorded at 5/72 in an innings. This marks the first time that Stokes has claimed so many wickets in a single series.
On the other hand, Archer's exceptional bowling demonstrated prowess, especially against left-handed batsmen, becoming a formidable adversary. He notably challenged Pant, Sai Sudarshan, and Jadeja. Without Archer, England's bowling attack loses its cutting edge.
Also read: England Playing 11: Setback as Stokes Exits Oval Test, 4 Changes Made, Oli Pope Named Captain
Who Will Lead England's Spin Attack?
England will enter 'The Oval' Test without a specialist spinner. Liam Dawson played this role in the fourth Test in Manchester but only achieved one success during the match.
For the final match, England will rely on Jacob Bethell, a batting all-rounder who bowls left-arm spin. In his 3 Test matches so far, he has taken 3 wickets. Meanwhile, for additional spin options, interim captain Oli Pope may turn to Joe Root, who has claimed 2 wickets in this series.
What Happened to Stokes?
All-rounder Ben Stokes appeared to struggle during the final three days of the Old Trafford Test in Manchester, which ended in a draw. He bowled 24 overs in India's first innings but managed only 11 overs in the second.
On the fifth day, during the warm-up, Stokes experienced discomfort in his right shoulder and was seen frequently rubbing it during his bowling. This poses a significant blow to England, as Stokes has been in outstanding form, earning 'Player of the Match' honors in two consecutive matches.
England's Playing 11 for the Oval Test:
Jack Crawley, Ben Duckett, Oli Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue
India's Squad for the Oval Test:
Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Narayan Jagadeesan (wicketkeeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh.
