England captain Stokes out of India series decider / Photo: © AFP/File
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England captain Stokes out of India series decider
England captain Ben Stokes was Wednesday ruled out of the fifth and deciding Test against India with a shoulder injury.
The England and Wales Cricket Board said vice-captain Ollie Pope would now lead the side in the match at the Oval starting Thursday, with England 2-1 up in the five-Test series.
Stokes has struggled with various fitness issues during a series in which he has sent down 140 overs -- the most he has bowled in any series.
He is the leading wicket-taker on either side with 17 scalps.
"I am obviously disappointed to not be able to finish the series," an emotional Stokes told a pre-match press conference on Wednesday.
The 34-year-old, whose career has been blighted by hamstring trouble, added: "I have got a decent tear of one of the (shoulder) muscles I can't pronounce, I don't know how to say it, but we took as long as we could to make that decision around that.
"A bit of emotion goes into this kind of stuff when you find out what you have done –- bowling was ruled out as soon as we got the scan results.
"But you need that time chatting with the medical team, Baz (England coach Brendon McCullum), then just 20 minutes to myself out there in the morning just to really be clear around the decision that we made."
England have made four changes after a gruelling drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford, with Jacob Bethell, Josh Tongue and the Surrey pair of Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton all coming into the side.
Fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse have both been rested.
Spin-bowling all-rounder Bethell makes his first Test appearance of the year, effectively as a replacement for Stokes.
Liam Dawson's return to Test cricket lasted just one match, with England going into the India finale without a specialist spinner.
G.Knapp--BP
