Atkinson Ruled Out of Final Ashes Test with Hamstring Injury

England fast bowler Gus Atkinson has been ruled out of the fifth and final Ashes Test against Australia in Sydney after suffering a left hamstring injury during the fourth Test in Melbourne.

Atkinson picked up the injury on the second day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground while bowling the final delivery of his fifth over in Australia’s second innings. He appeared to strain his hamstring, left the field immediately, and was later sent for scans on Saturday. He did not return to the field and was not required to bat. Despite his absence, England managed the situation effectively, dismissing Australia for 132 and successfully chasing a target of 175 to secure a four-wicket victory—England’s first overseas Ashes Test win since January 2011.

The injury makes Atkinson the third England fast bowler to be ruled out of the tour, following Mark Wood, who returned home with a knee problem, and Jofra Archer, sidelined by a side strain.

With one Test remaining in the series, starting January 4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, England have decided not to call up a replacement. The squad has sufficient cover, with Durham seamer Matthew Potts yet to play a match on the tour and Surrey pacer Matthew Fisher available after being promoted from the England Lions squad when Wood departed after the second Test.

England may also consider including an additional spinner, with Shoaib Bashir an option to partner Will Jacks, although this remains unlikely. However, the prospect could be influenced by conditions at the SCG, which may offer a flatter surface following controversy over the state of the MCG pitch, where 36 wickets fell within six sessions.

There is some reassurance for Atkinson, as the injury is not a recurrence of the right hamstring issue he suffered during last summer’s Test against Zimbabwe, which forced him to miss the first four matches of England’s home series against India. He returned for the final Test at The Oval, where he took eight wickets, including 5 for 33 in the first innings, and nearly guided England to victory with the bat before falling as the last wicket in a six-run defeat that saw the series end 2–2.

Atkinson had arrived in Australia as the leader of England’s pace attack but found it difficult to sustain his speed and effectiveness early in the series. He went wicketless in Perth and followed that with figures of 3 for 151 from 33 overs in Brisbane, performances that led to him being dropped for the must-win Test in Adelaide. Archer’s injury opened the door for his return at the MCG, where he made use of lively conditions to claim three wickets.

Atkinson leaves the Ashes tour with six wickets at an average of 47.33, marking the first time he has averaged above 28 in any of his seven Test series since making his debut at the start of the 2024 summer.