England Captain Stokes Rejects Injury Substitutions After Woakes' Oval Test Injury

England captain Ben Stokes has firmly rejected the idea of allowing injury substitutions in Test cricket, despite witnessing his teammate Chris Woakes bat with a dislocated shoulder during the decisive fifth Test against India at The Oval. Stokes emphasized that permitting substitutes could be exploited tactically, undermining the integrity of team selection and the game itself. He reiterated that players must deal with injuries as they come, stating bluntly, "If somebody gets injured, tough s***." Woakes' courageous effort to bat with his left arm in a sling drew praise from Stokes, who also acknowledged the similar bravery shown by injured players like India's Rishabh Pant and Shoaib Bashir during the series. Though disappointed by the narrow six-run loss that resulted in a 2-2 series draw, Stokes highlighted the thrilling contest as a strong endorsement for the Test format. His stance remains consistent despite the timing of Woakes' injury coming shortly after Stokes publicly opposed injury substitutes.