England pacer Gus Atkinson has been ruled out of the fifth and final Ashes Test in Sydney after suffering a left hamstring injury during the fourth Test against Australia in Melbourne.
Atkinson suffered the injury on the second day at the MCG while bowling the final ball of his fifth over in Australia’s second innings. He immediately left the field and was scanned later on Saturday.
The 26-year-old did not return to the field and was not required to bat. Despite his absence, England bowled out Australia for 132 and successfully chased down 175 to claim their first overseas Ashes Test win since January 2011.
Atkinson became the third England pacer to be sidelined for the tour, following Mark Wood (knee) and Jofra Archer (side strain).
With just one Test remaining, starting in Sydney on January 4, England have decided not to call up a substitute.
With Durham seamer Matthew Potts yet to feature in the series, the squad still has cover, while Surrey’s Matthew Fisher is also a favorite following his return home after the second Test after being promoted from the England Lions.
England may consider adding another spinner, with Shoaib Bashir as Will Jacks’ back-up.
Although unlikely, given the possibility of a flat pitch at the SCG, especially after concerns over the MCG surface, 36 wickets fell in six sessions.
However, there is no recurrence of the right hamstring problem Atkinson suffered during England’s Test against Zimbabwe last summer, which ruled him out of the first four matches against India.
He returned for the final Test at The Oval, taking eight wickets – 5 for 33 in the first innings – and was instrumental in the batting as England lost by six runs to level the series 2–2.
Atkinson arrived in Australia as England’s attacking leader but found it difficult to maintain his pace and efficiency early in the series.
He went unbeaten in Perth and took 3 for 151 in 33 overs in Brisbane before being dropped in the must-win Test in Adelaide.
Archer’s injury paved the way for Atkinson’s return at the MCG, where he made the most of a brisk pitch to take three wickets.
He finished the tour with six wickets at 47.33 – the first time he has averaged more than 28 in his seven Test series since his debut in the early summer of 2024.