On the opening day of the final Ashes Test, the curse of the Ashes spinners struck again, claiming its third victim as Moeen Ali pulled a groin muscle while batting.

As of now, the 36-year-old’s prognosis remains unclear. He did not return to the field after England’s innings, and even if he recovers overnight, he won’t be permitted to bowl for most of Friday’s opening session. Australia will resume at 61 for one, trailing by 222 runs.

Moeen will be required to rest and undergo monitoring overnight, with no scans currently planned. A decision on his participation in the rest of the match will be made based on his condition. Moeen was brought into England’s side after coming out of retirement when Jack Leach was ruled out of the series due to a stress fracture in his back, while Australia’s Nathan Lyon also suffered an injury and had to return home after tearing his calf.

Moeen scored 11 runs off 38 balls before sustaining the injury while taking a quick single. He then added 23 runs off his next eight deliveries, which included two fours and two sixes, before being dismissed by Todd Murphy, Australia’s second-choice spinner.

Despite the setback, Moeen’s powerful batting impressed his teammates. Harry Brook, who top-scored for England with 85, praised Moeen’s determination to play aggressively even after the injury. He described Moeen as one of the best power hitters in the world.

England, having set a target of 250 at lunch, eventually made 283, taking advantage of Australia’s uncharacteristic generosity with five dropped chances. Mitchell Starc, despite playing through a shoulder injury, became the leading wicket-taker in the series with four wickets.

Starc credited his team’s calm and collected demeanor for their ability to create chances consistently, even though they faced some drops during the game. He acknowledged that many bowlers in international cricket deal with discomfort and injuries, but he remained focused on the game, intending to address any concerns at the end of the week.

The day began with Pat Cummins winning the toss for the first time this summer, and he chose to bowl. Starc jokingly mentioned that Marnus Labuschagne was the only one pushing for Cummins to call heads instead, but the team supported him in sticking to calling tails.