Hamstring injury leaves England’s Gus Atkinson out of the Sydney Ashes Test against Australia

Gus Atkinson has been ruled out of the final Ashes Test, leaving England with three bowlers as they wrap up the series in Sydney.

Atkinson retired while bowling in his side’s two-day win in Melbourne and played no further part in the match.

Scans have revealed he has a left hamstring injury that will prevent him from taking part in the New Year Test and the exact severity may not be known until further assessment when he returns home.

The 27-year-old leaves his first Ashes series with six wickets at 47.33, having shown glimpses of his abilities without ever standing up for himself.

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Early departure

Atkinson’s early departure follows the withdrawals of Mark Wood, whose knee problems flared after the first Test, and Jofra Archer, who suffered a side strain after missing out in each of the first three matches.

All three were among the tourists’ first choice as they took on Australia with a barrage of pace on day one in Perth, but a much-changed attack will now end the series.

No replacements have been called up as England look to reduce the margin of defeat by making it 3-2, with Durham’s Matthew Potts next in line and Surrey’s Matthew Fisher also in attendance, having previously joined the Lions’ main squad.

Brydon Carse will complete five Tests in a row but could hand over new ball duties, with Josh Tongue moving on after two impressive performances in Adelaide and Melbourne.

Proud

Potts has 36 wickets in 10 Tests appearances, at an average of 29.44, while Fisher won his only cap against the West Indies in 2022, taking one wicket for 71 in Barbados.

Although the Ashes urn remains in Australia, there is plenty to play for at the SCG: pride, World Cup points and places on the sidelines.

Jacob Bethell has already laid claim to the number three spot after replacing Ollie Pope on Boxing Day, with his mature 40 taking much of the pressure in England’s 175-run chase.

The 22-year-old now has the chance to cement an extended run in the side and is ready to throw himself into the challenge.

Pretty sweet

“I have a lot more to do before I can call this my position,” he admitted.

“It’s nice to come in and make an impact straight away, it’s quite sweet. But I’m not thinking too far ahead yet.

“Hopefully I’ll be playing in Sydney next week and we’ll have a lot of cricket for next summer. To be honest, I’d love to commit to every role in the team.”

Unfazed

Many county players of Bethell’s age would have been impressed by the prospect of walking out in front of more than 90,000 fans for their first Ashes Test, but after experiencing the hustle and bustle of IPL cricket with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he was unimpressed by the scale of the event.

“I was quite nervous, not so much with the people, just for the occasion I think, but I’ve played in India where it feels like 160,000 people are watching,” he said.

“I definitely felt a lot more confident coming into the game after playing in front of, I don’t know, 50,000 – which felt like 100,000 – at Chinnaswammy Stadium.”

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