Fri Aug 01 16:50:00 UTC 2025: ## Woakes Injury Reignites Debate Over Injury Substitutes in Test Cricket

**London, UK** – Chris Woakes has been ruled out of the remainder of the fifth Test against India after injuring his left shoulder while fielding on day one at The Kia Oval. This injury, coupled with a previous incident involving India’s Rishabh Pant, has reignited the debate about the possibility of allowing injury substitutes in Test cricket.

Currently, the International Cricket Council (ICC) only permits concussion substitutes, a rule implemented after Steve Smith’s head injury in 2019. While teams can replace injured players in the field, the substitute cannot bowl or captain.

Former England bowler Stuart Broad argues that allowing replacements for significant injuries would “improve the standard and quality of cricket,” ensuring a level playing field of 11 versus 11 throughout the game. Dinesh Karthik of Sky Sports suggested that the match referee could assess the severity of the injury to determine if a replacement is warranted.

However, England captain Ben Stokes strongly opposes the idea, stating that allowing injury replacements would create “too many loopholes” for teams to exploit. Stokes believes injuries are simply “part of the game” and expressed concern that players could feign or exaggerate minor ailments to gain an unfair advantage.

India coach Gautam Gambhir, however, supports injury replacements, especially in cases where the injury is deemed significant by umpires and the match referee.

The debate continues as the fifth Test unfolds, with many in the cricket world pondering whether a change to the current regulations is necessary to maintain the integrity and competitiveness of the game.

*Catch day two of the fifth Test between England and India, at The Kia Oval, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.15am on Friday (first ball at 11am) or stream without a contract.*

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