England captain Ben Stokes and pacer Jofra Archer have been ruled out of the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Wednesday.

“Captain Ben Stokes is unavailable due to a right shoulder injury. Also missing out are spinner Liam Dawson and pace bowlers Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse,” read an official ECB statement.

Ollie Pope will lead the England side in Stokes’s absence when the Test begins on Thursday, July 31.

Stokes had been a standout performer in the series, having earned the Player of the Match award in both the third and fourth Tests for his all-round efforts.

He sustained a shoulder injury during a lengthy bowling spell in the fourth Test, where India batted for 143 overs across five sessions. Stokes bowled a total of 35 overs across both innings and was seen clutching his right shoulder during the effort.

England have named Jacob Bethell in the playing XI, who will bat at No. 6. Surrey bowlers Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton have been included in the squad, along with Nottinghamshire fast bowler Josh Tongue.

Meanwhile, India are also likely to be without their pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.

According to sources reported by NDTV, Bumrah, who played the first, third and fourth Tests, is set to miss the decider.

The BCCI had earlier indicated that Bumrah would not play all five matches in the series. ESPNcricinfo reported that Akash Deep is likely to replace him in the XI, with the BCCI medical team prioritising long-term workload management to safeguard Bumrah’s back.

The hosts lead the five-match series 2-1 going into the final Test.