England pace bowler Gus Atkinson has been ruled out of the fifth and final Ashes Test against Australia in Sydney after sustaining a left hamstring injury during the fourth Test in Melbourne.
Atkinson becomes England’s third fast bowler to leave the tour through injury, following Mark Wood, who returned home with a knee problem, and Jofra Archer, sidelined by a side strain. The decision was confirmed ahead of the final match of the series, which begins at the SCG on January 4.
The injury occurred on the second day at the MCG when Atkinson appeared to pull up while delivering the final ball of his fifth over in Australia’s second innings. He left the field immediately and underwent a scan later that day. He did not return to the field and was not required to bat.
England were able to absorb his absence in Melbourne, dismissing Australia for 132 before chasing down a target of 175 with four wickets to spare. The win was England’s first overseas Ashes Test victory since January 2011.
With one Test remaining, England have opted not to call up a replacement. Durham seamer Matthew Potts remains unused on the tour, while Surrey’s Matthew Fisher is also available after being promoted from the England Lions squad when Wood returned home following the second Test.
There is also the possibility, albeit a remote one, that England could field an additional spinner. Shoaib Bashir is in the squad should the management decide to pair him with Will Jacks, particularly if the Sydney pitch proves flatter than expected after the scrutiny surrounding the lively surface at the MCG, where 36 wickets fell inside six sessions.
For Atkinson, there is some reassurance that the injury is not related to the right hamstring issue he suffered during last summer’s Test against Zimbabwe. That problem forced him to miss the first four matches of the home series against India. He returned for the final Test at The Oval, taking eight wickets, including 5 for 33 in the first innings, and was England’s last man out as India edged a six-run victory to draw the series 2-2.
Atkinson arrived in Australia as England’s attack leader but found consistency hard to come by early in the series. He went wicketless in Perth and followed that with figures of 3 for 151 from 33 overs in Brisbane, before being left out for the must-win Test in Adelaide.
Archer’s injury opened the door for Atkinson’s return in Melbourne, where he exploited a helpful pitch to claim three wickets. He leaves the tour with six wickets at an average of 47.33, the first time he has averaged above 28 across a Test series since making his debut at the start of the 2024 summer.
