England Chris Woakes Likely Misses Rest Fifth Test vs India Due Shoulder Injury

England's fast bowler Chris Woakes suffered a left shoulder injury while fielding on Day 1 of the fifth Test against India at The Oval, casting doubt on his participation for the remainder of the match. Woakes landed awkwardly trying to save a boundary and immediately left the field in pain, with scans scheduled to assess the extent of the injury. Fellow pacer Gus Atkinson described the injury as "not great" and expressed hope for Woakes' recovery, while also preparing to step up in Woakes' potential absence. Woakes had taken the important wicket of KL Rahul before the injury and is the only England pace bowler to have played in every Test of the series, making his injury a significant blow to an already depleted England bowling attack missing key players like captain Ben Stokes. On a challenging green wicket, India finished Day 1 at 204 for 6, with Karun Nair playing a resilient innings, and the injury to Woakes may balance the contest further. England's inability to capitalize fully on the conditions and Woakes' injury leaves the final Test finely poised.