England’s disastrous Ashes tour suffered yet another blow on its penultimate scheduled day when captain Ben Stokes was forced to leave the field with a right adductor injury.
Stokes pulled up midway through his 28th over during Australia’s marathon innings and could not continue.
England later confirmed he was “being assessed for a right adductor complaint.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan, speaking on BBC Radio, said:
“Very sad to see the skipper walking off like that. It is amazing that he has got to all five matches with his injury record.”
A Career Marked by Injuries
Stokes has battled knee, hamstring and shoulder problems in recent years.
Before the series began, there were already doubts about whether he could physically withstand all five Tests he had missed at least one Test in each of England’s previous four series.
Former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist told Fox Sports:
“We wondered whether this would happen at some point and the disappointment on the face tells you. It’s been a big effort from this man to get through all five Test matches.”
Overworked and Undermanned
Stokes was again England’s talisman, but he was forced to bowl far more than planned due to:
Erratic spells from Brydon Carse (27 overs, 3-130)
Struggles from Matthew Potts (25 overs, 0-141)
No specialist spinner selected
Injuries to England’s three frontline pace bowlers
With limited control from the rest of the attack, Stokes had little choice but to shoulder the burden a decision that may have contributed to his latest setback.
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