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England’s injury woes deepened on Day 1 of the fifth and final Test at The Oval, with Chris Woakes sustaining a shoulder injury that could rule him out for the rest of the match. Already missing regular skipper Ben Stokes due to a shoulder issue, England were dealt another blow when Woakes landed awkwardly while attempting to stop a boundary.
The all-rounder, who had earlier dismissed KL Rahul, was visibly in discomfort, clutching his left shoulder before being attended to by the medical team. He exited the field with his arm supported by a makeshift sling fashioned from his sweater.
“It doesn’t look good. We haven’t properly discussed it yet, but I’d be surprised if he plays any further part in this match,” said teammate Gus Atkinson.
At stumps, India were 204 for 6, with Karun Nair unbeaten on a composed fifty. Washington Sundar, fresh off a century in the previous Test, remained not out on 19.
Ollie Pope, captaining England in Stokes’ absence, opted to bowl first after winning the toss. This marked the fifth consecutive toss loss for India’s captain, Shubman Gill, and the 15th straight instance of India losing the toss in international cricket.
