India opening batter Rohit Sharma did not take the field on the fifth day of The Oval Test against England as he had picked up an injury while batting in the second innings of the Test. He had some issues with his left knee and was seen in discomfort during the latter stages of the innings. Apart from Rohit, Cheteshwar Puajra had some problems as he had sprained his ankle while taking a single.

The severity of the duo’s injuries is still not known and their participation in the fifth Test, which is scheduled to begin on Friday (10 September) in Manchester also remains to be seen. After a brief stoppage of play, Pujara was up and running after being taped in the ankle. He seemed to be doing fine, and by the look of it, his injury didn’t look too serious. India’s number three batter didn’t take the field during the whole of England’s run-chase in the fourth innings due to precautionary measures.

After their loss at The Oval in the fourth Test against India, England has announced their squad for the fifth and the final Test which is scheduled to be played at the Old Trafford in Manchester, from September 10, 2021. India is leading the series 2-1, but England still has a chance to square off the Pataudi Trophy and have their hand on one side of it.

In terms of changes to the squad, wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler has returned to the squad after the birth of his daughter. He had missed out on the fourth Test because of that. Despite not being in the best of forms, Buttler remains one of the more experienced players on this side. Manchester being his home ground could be a decisive factor in having him back in the XI.

According to recent reports, Stokes is likely to miss the World Cup. England might make changes to their squad after the announcement but it will be done only in case of injuries. The team will also be missing the services of pacer Jofra Archer who will be out until the start of next year owing to an elbow injury.
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