Jofra Archer ruled out of Ashes due to side strain
What's the story
England's Ashes campaign Down Under has suffered a major blow with the news of Jofra Archer's exit from the last two Tests. The fast bowler, sidelined due to a side strain injury, has been replaced by Gus Atkinson for the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Meanwhile, Jacob Bethell replaced Ollie Pope at No. 3 in England's other change.
Performance
Archer was England's lifeline
Earlier this year, Archer made a stunning return to Test cricket after a gap of more than four years. He featured against India at home. He has been one of England's standout players in the ongoing Ashes series, picking up nine wickets and contributing with lower-order runs. England captain Ben Stokes praised his "exceptional" bowling performance on Tuesday.
Injury update
Archer to undergo assessment in UK
After a limited second-innings workload in the Adelaide Test, Archer was sent for a scan in Melbourne on Tuesday. He will now return to the UK next week for further assessment. Despite his injury, England remains hopeful that Archer will be fit for the ICC T20 World Cup in February. For the ongoing Ashes, England also have Matthew Fisher in the reserves.
Team adjustments
Atkinson returns; Pope axed
Along with Archer's injury, England also made a couple of changes to their squad for the Boxing Day Test. Seamer Atkinson returns to the side and is set to share new ball duties with Brydon Carse. All-rounder Jacob Bethell has replaced Ollie Pope at No. 3 in England's batting order. According to ESPNcricinfo, Pope hasn't scored a half-century against Australia in 16 innings. He managed just 125 runs in six innings at 20.83 in the ongoing Ashes.
Information
Playing XI for MCG Test
England's Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicket-keeper), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, and Josh Tongue.