England&rsquo;s Ashes campaign received a timely boost as Test skipper Ben Stokes returned to training following his shoulder injury, raising hopes of his full recovery before the high-voltage series in Australia.
Stokes, who last featured in the fourth Test against India in Manchester where he starred with both bat and ball, was sidelined for the final match at The Oval. His injury had left England sweating on his availability, but his recent training session with Durham has provided optimism.
&ldquo;Stokes is back in training,&rdquo; confirmed Durham coach Ryan Campbell on BBC Radio 5 Live. &ldquo;Over the last week, he&rsquo;s started to hit balls and had a really good session. Scott Borthwick was throwing to him with (coach) Will Gidman for nearly two hours. The batting side is going very well but the bowling will take longer.&rdquo;
The 33-year-old all-rounder, pivotal to England&rsquo;s hopes of reclaiming the Ashes for the first time in Australia since 2011, is expected to continue his gradual return, with bowling workloads being carefully managed.
Campbell admitted that while Stokes&rsquo; resilience and determination remain unmatched, the challenge will be his ability to sustain the workload across all five Tests. &ldquo;He makes your batting line-up deeper and is a force as a seamer. The way he works to recover is just incredible. But whether he can play five Tests in a row, I&rsquo;m not 100 per cent sure. What&rsquo;s certain is that he&rsquo;ll leave no stone unturned.&rdquo;
England are also monitoring fast bowler Mark Wood, who is close to proving his fitness after a knee injury and could feature in Durham&rsquo;s upcoming County Championship fixture.
With the first Ashes Test set for November 21 in Perth, Stokes&rsquo; return has given England the lift they desperately needed. His presence could very well decide whether England finally end their long wait for an Ashes triumph on Australian soil.

England boosted as Ben Stokes returns to training after shoulder injury scare

Stokes Back in Nets Ahead of Ashes

England boosted as Ben Stokes returns to training after shoulder injury scare

September 9, 2025 | 17:55 IST