London, Aug 2: In a major blow for England, fast bowler Chris Woakes has been ruled out of action for the ongoing Test against India at The Oval.A statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board stated that Woakes, who sustained a nasty blow to the shoulder on Day 1 of the fifth Test, will play no further part in the Test match.
A further assessment shall be made at the end of the series.
The incident that led to the injury took place in the 57th over of India’s first innings when Woakes, stretching to make a dive at the boundary to save a run, injured his shoulder. The England pacer received immediate inspection from the team physio and was forced off the field.
Earlier in the day, Woakes had struck early with the new ball to remove Indian opener KL Rahul as India finished the day six wickets down with 204 runs on the scoreboard.
The injury comes as a big blow for the hosts, who are leading 2-1 in the ongoing five-match ICC World Test Championship series.
England are also without the services of captain Ben Stokes, who was ruled out of the series decider due to a right shoulder injury.
Having scripted thrilling wins at Headingley and Lord’s, England hold the advantage against the Shubhman Gill-led Indian side as the fiercely contested series heads towards a conclusion.