England’s injury troubles deepened on Day 1 of the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval, as experienced all-rounder Chris Woakes walked off the field nursing a suspected shoulder injury. The incident occurred late in the final session, when Woakes attempted to save a boundary at long-off and landed awkwardly on his left shoulder, visibly grimacing as he left the field with his arm tucked inside his sweater.

The 35-year-old had bowled 14 overs in the day, picking up the key wicket of KL Rahul and conceding 46 runs. His absence looms large over an already-depleted England side, which is without the services of captain Ben Stokes and several other first-choice players.

Atkinson steps up as England grapple with Woakes blow and mounting injury concerns

Gus Atkinson, who claimed two wickets from 19 overs on the rain-affected opening day, offered a cautious update on Woakes’ condition. “I don’t know too much about it, but it doesn’t look great,” he said. “It’s a big shame that the last game of the series and when anyone gets injured, it’s a shame. I’m hoping it’s not too bad, and whatever it is, he’ll get full support from everyone.”

The injury came while Woakes chased a drive from Karun Nair in the 57th over. Although he successfully stopped the boundary, saving one run for his side, he immediately clutched his shoulder in pain before walking off the field.

England’s pace stocks are now under immense pressure. With Woakes’ availability uncertain and four players, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, and Liam Dawson already rested, the remaining attack includes Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue, and Jacob Bethell, who together boast just 18 Test caps. Atkinson, however, expressed confidence in stepping up in Woakes’ potential absence. “Definitely, I feel fresh, I feel good. I know I’ve only got this one game to play, so I can push the limits a bit,” he said.

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Meanwhile, the injury situation has reignited the debate around injury replacements in Test cricket. The issue came into focus earlier in the series when India were allowed to replace an injured Rishabh Pant with Dhruv Jurel as wicketkeeper. India head coach Gautam Gambhir supported the idea of injury substitutions, stating that "if someone’s visibly injured, there’s nothing wrong with making a change."

Woakes injury fuels injury replacement debate as England face selection dilemma in series decider

England captain Ben Stokes, however, strongly opposed the idea, arguing that such a policy could be easily misused. “You pick your 11 for a game; injuries are part of the game,” Stokes said. “I think the conversation should just honestly stop around injury replacements.”

As things stand, the rules only allow like-for-like substitutes in cases of concussion. That means even if Woakes is ruled out of the match, England cannot bring in a bowling substitute, a situation that could significantly hamper their chances in the deciding Test.

India, meanwhile, ended the rain-marred opening day on 204/6, with Karun Nair anchoring the innings with an unbeaten half-century. With overcast conditions expected to persist, both teams will be hoping their depleted line-ups can withstand the physical and tactical challenges ahead.