Ben Stokes Ruled Out of Final Test Against India

England's captain and star all-rounder Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the final Test against India due to a shoulder injury. Stokes, who was the Player of the Match in both the third and fourth Tests, will be replaced by Ollie Pope as captain.

The injury means Stokes will miss the final Test at The Oval, London, starting on Thursday, July 31. He will be replaced by Jacob Bethell, who has been included in the squad and will play at No. 6.

England's XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue

Stokes revealed the extent of his injury and the difficult decision-making process at the press conference on the eve of the fifth Test. He said he had a "decent tear" in one of the muscles in his shoulder and that bowling was ruled out as soon as the scan results came in.

Stokes acknowledged the necessity of prioritizing long-term fitness over short-term gains, saying he would focus on rehabilitation ahead of the Ashes series beginning in November.

England leads the series 2-1, having won the Headingley Test and the game at Lord's while their defeat came at Edgbaston.