London, Aug 1 (IANS) England’s experienced seamer Chris Woakes has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing fifth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against India after injuring his shoulder on opening day, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Friday.
“England seamer Chris Woakes will continue to be monitored throughout the remainder of the Fifth Test at The Kia Oval, following a left shoulder injury sustained on day one of the match against India,” ECB said in a statement.
“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,” it added.
In the 57th over of India’s first innings on Day 1, Woakes walked off the field after he landed awkwardly on his left shoulder and stayed down clutching it while saving a ball hit to the boundary by Karun Nair at long-off. He received medical attention from England physio, before using his sweater as a makeshift sling on his way to the dressing room.
Woakes bowled 14 overs on Day 1, returning figures of 1 for 46. His injury added to England’s growing list of concerns, with the team already missing several key players for the all-important final Test, including captain Ben Stokes, who was ruled out of the series decider due to a right shoulder injury.
Woakes’ absence would leave England with an attack short of experience, with the rest of the attack having a combined 18 Test caps for England.
The 35-year-old has been a workhorse for England throughout the series, one of only two seamers — along with India’s Mohammed Siraj — to feature in all five matches. Across the series, he has bowled 181 overs and taken 11 wickets at an average of 52.18.
–IANS
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