Jofra Archer has been ruled out of England’s final two Tests of the Ashes in Australia after suffering a side strain, dealing another blow to a tour that has continued to unravel for Ben Stokes’s side.
Archer, who impressed with six wickets in Australia’s 82-run win in Adelaide, will miss the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the series finale. Gus Atkinson has been named as his replacement, while Jacob Bethell comes in for Ollie Pope at No. 3 in the batting order.
The fast bowler made his long-awaited Test return in July after more than four years away from the format because of recurring elbow and back injuries. He has arguably been England’s standout performer in Australia, taking nine wickets and contributing useful lower-order runs. Captain Ben Stokes praised Archer’s “exceptional” efforts earlier this week.
Archer was sent for scans in Melbourne on Tuesday after his workload was restricted during the second innings in Adelaide. He is due to return to the United Kingdom next week for further assessment. England remain confident he will be fit for the T20 World Cup in February and have decided not to call up a replacement for the final Test, with Matthew Potts and Matthew Fisher already in the squad.
England had hoped that Archer and Mark Wood would be available throughout the five-Test series, but neither will feature again. Wood was ruled out after the opening Test in Perth due to a knee injury, having bowled 11 wicketless overs.
Atkinson returns to the side and is expected to share the new ball with Brydon Carse. Shoaib Bashir has been left out for a fourth consecutive Test despite Stokes maintaining that he remains England’s first-choice spinner. Will Jacks keeps his place as a spin-bowling allrounder at No. 8, while Josh Tongue is retained after taking five wickets in Adelaide.
The changes leave England’s attack short on experience, with the three main seamers sharing just 34 Test caps between them.
Pope has been dropped after another disappointing run against Australia. He has failed to score a half-century in 16 Ashes innings and managed only 125 runs at an average of 20.83 in this series. It is the second consecutive Ashes tour in which he has been left out. Pope, who captained England during Stokes’s absence against India earlier this year, was removed as vice-captain before the series began.
Bethell, who replaces him, will play his fifth Test on Boxing Day. He made his debut in New Zealand last year and has yet to score a first-class century, but has become a regular in England’s white-ball sides and captained the T20 team against Ireland in September. His earlier success at No. 3 against New Zealand last December increased pressure on Pope, and England have now decided to make the switch.
Ben Duckett has retained his place despite failing to pass 30 in his first six innings of the series and facing an ECB investigation following a viral social media video. Stokes said Duckett continues to have his full support.
Australia are also set to make changes, with Pat Cummins missing out due to back rehabilitation and Nathan Lyon sidelined with a torn hamstring. Steven Smith is expected to captain the side as he returns from illness.
England XI for fourth Test vs Australia:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue.
