England’s injury crisis has deepened, with fast bowler Gus Atkinson ruled out of the fifth Ashes Test against Australia due to a left hamstring injury he sustained in Melbourne.
On day two of the Boxing Day contest at the MCG, Atkinson left the field grabbing at his hamstring, taking no further part in the match. However, England’s other fast bowlers stepped up in his absence, rolling Australia for 132 in the second innings to set up a four-wicket triumph.
On Monday, England confirmed Atkinson had been ruled out for the remainder of the Ashes tour after scans taken in the last 24 hours confirmed the hamstring injury, with no replacement called up to the squad. The 27-year-old had taken six wickets at 47.33 during the series, dropped for the Adelaide Test following underwhelming outings in Perth and Brisbane.
Atkinson’s departure opens the door for Durham seamer Matthew Potts to play next week’s series finale in Sydney, although Surrey’s Matthew Fisher and spinner Shoaib Bashir are also options in the England squad. Potts has taken 36 Test wickets at 29.44, with the most recent of his ten appearances coming back in December 2024.
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Atkinson’s setback comes after fellow quicks Mark Wood and Jofra Archer were ruled out of the Ashes series due to injury. Wood produced 11 wicketless overs in Perth before returning home due to a knee complaint, while Archer missed the Boxing Day Test due to a side strain.
England arrived in Australia last month with what was slated as the nation’s fastest pace cartel in a generation, but despite flashes of brilliance from Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse, the team’s lack of experience has been apparent throughout the tour, with the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes retiring from the game’s longest format since the 2023 Ashes campaign in the United Kingdom.
The fifth and final Ashes Test between Australia and England gets underway at the SCG on January 4.
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