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After a consolation win in the two-day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to end the win drought on Australian soil, England have been dealt with another injury blow. After Mark Wood and Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson has been ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes 2025-26. Atkinson won’t play the fifth and final Test of the series at Sydney Cricket Ground due to a hamstring injury.
“England Men’s seamer Gus Atkinson has been ruled out for the remainder of the Ashes tour after scans confirmed he has sustained a left hamstring injury,” the England Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement on December 29.
“The Surrey right-armer left the field after bowling his fifth over of Australia’s second innings during England’s victory at the MCG in the fourth Test.”
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Who will replace Atkinson in playing XI for SCG Test?
England have not named a replacement for Atkinson in the squad. In the Test which begins on January 4, there are three candidates to replace an injured Atkinson in the squad. England's frontline spinner Shoaib Bashir may make his Ashes debut if there is assistance from the pitch.
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If England opt for an all pace attack once again, the two options are Matthew Potts and Matthew Fisher.
27-year-old Potts claimed three wickets in the intra-squad match at Perth's Lilac Hill. Then, he took three wickets against Cricket Australia XI. In the pink-ball game against Prime Minister's XI, he bagged two wickets. He played his last Test against New Zealand a year ago.
Fisher made his Test debut against West Indies in 2022. On Australia tour, he has managed to take just two wickets from three games.
England’s Test squad for SCG Test
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, josh Tongue, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Shoaib Bashir, Matthew Fisher.
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