Ashes 2025/26: England pacer Gus Atkinson ruled out of Sydney Test with hamstring injury

England have suffered yet another setback as Gus Atkinson has been ruled out of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney due to a left hamstring injury.

The right-arm pacer sustained the injury while bowling the last ball of his fifth over during the second innings of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. He didn't return to bowl and was sent for scans later in the day.

Atkinson's absence didn't hurt the tourists much as Brydon Carse (4/34), Ben Stokes (3/24), and Josh Tongue (2/44) launched an incursion on Australia's batting order and restricted the hosts to just 132 in 34.3 overs.

He is the third English fast bowler to be ruled out of the series after Mark Wood (recurrence of a left-knee injury) and Jofra Archer (side strain).

England relieved after first Ashes win down under after 5468 days

England came back from behind in the Boxing Day Test at the 'G' and registered a remarkable four-wicket win to clinch their first-ever Ashes Test in Australia after a wait of 5468 days.

Stokes was relieved with the win and credited the players and the support staff for delivering the goods despite the constant pressure and outside noise.

"Good feeling, a tough tour up to now. Tough for us as a team, but to be part of a team to win in Australia after such a long time. We play for so many different things, the Barmy Army are very special, constant noise, the guys in the middle hear it, feel it, and know it," said Stokes during the post-match presentation.

"There'll be some sore heads tomorrow. After the build-up to the Test, a lot thrown our way, to put in a performance on the back of all that, and beat a very good Australian team, a lot of credit has to go to players, staff, and management for keeping the focus on cricket. Very proud. The cricket was short and sharp, very tricky, heavily favoured to the bowlers, but today we went about it exactly the right way. Can't allow bowlers to land it constantly. We showed bravery and were courageous."

England squad
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Shoaib Bashir, Matthew Fisher

Support Staff
Brendon McCullum, Jeetan Patel, Paul Collingwood, Marcus Trescothick, Neil Killeen, Tim Southee