INDIA TOUR OF ENGLAND 2025
Chris Woakes dislocated his shoulder while fielding on the opening day of the Oval Test © Getty
Injured all-rounder Chris Woakes will be available to bat on the final day of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy decider at The Oval, if England need him. Woakes suffered a suspected shoulder dislocation on the opening day and hasn’t taken the field since, but is prepared to come out at No. 11 should England require his services to chase the remaining 35 runs and clinch the series for England. They still have four wickets in hand.
“He’s all-in, like the rest of us,” Joe Root said after a dramatic fourth day on Sunday (August 3). “It’s been that kind of series, where guys have had to put bodies on the line. Hopefully, it doesn’t get to that. But he had some throwdowns in here [indoor nets] at one point, and he’s ready if needed… He’s desperate to do what it takes.”
It remains unclear what shape Woakes’ innings might take. The image of Malcolm Marshall batting one-handed at Trent Bridge comes to mind, a gesture to help a teammate raise his hundred. Root didn’t have the details but confirmed Woakes was still in significant discomfort.
“I’m not sure, I’ve not seen him practice yet. You might get a better indication tomorrow if he has some throwdowns in the morning,” Root said. “Clearly, he’s in a huge amount of pain having done what he’s done. It just shows, as we’ve seen from other guys in this series, [Rishabh] Pant batting with a broken foot, guys taking all sorts of blows here and there, but it means a huge amount to him.
“It just shows the character and the person that he’s willing to put his body on the line like that for England, and hopefully, well, hopefully he doesn’t have to, but if it does come to that – get us across the line and win us an incredible series.”
While India will have the second new ball due in 22 balls, England are within striking distance and will get another helpful roller before the start of play to flatten the pitch out before the start of the day’s play. That they’re this close is down to a monumental 195-run partnership between Root and Harry Brook – the two top-ranked Test batters in the world – both of whom scored centuries.
Brook, dropped on 19, smashed 111 off 98 balls in a counterattacking masterclass. His tempo gave Root the space to build at his own pace. The former captain described the experience as a joy.
“I think one of the most important things about batting is building a partnership and understanding the impact that you both have on each other and being able to dovetail well together. And we’ve both got very contrasting games,” Root said. “But I think that works really well in our favour. He obviously plays slightly more expansively than I do and has got an amazing array of shots. But the amount of pressure he puts back on the opposition, the way that he takes calculated risks at the right moments and can open a game completely up like he did today.
“You look around and there’s a deep long off to their premier bowlers. It’s amazing being able to play a second fiddle to that and watch it in the best seat in the house. He’s an incredible talent and it’s not like he’s a one-off fluke. He’s got 10 hundreds playing in a very simple manner. He’s incredibly consistent at it and there’s definitely a huge amount of method behind what he does. And the impact that he’s had on this Test match is why we’re sat here needing 35 to win. It’s been an incredible knock.”
Root also reserved praise for Mohammed Siraj, calling him a warrior for his tireless efforts across the series, in which he’s played every game. “He’s a character. He’s a warrior. He’s a real warrior,” Root said. “He’s someone that you want on your team. He’s that kind of character. He gives everything for India. It’s credit to him for that, the way he approaches cricket. He’s got this fake angriness about him sometimes, which I can see straight through. He’s actually a really nice lad.
“He tries it incredibly hard. He’s a very skilful player. The reason why he’s got the wickets he has is because, one, his work ethic and two, his skill level. I enjoy playing against him. He’s always got a big smile on his face and he’ll give everything for his team. I guess you couldn’t want anything more of that as a fan watching and a great example to any young player starting out.”
Asked if England were content with going off due to bad light and rain on Day 4 – just as the game hung in the balance with England 35 runs and India four wickets away from victory – Root offered a pragmatic response. A fifth day, he said, brought both risks and opportunities.
“The guys had bowled a lot, there’s overs in their legs. You get back out there and you get a couple of boundaries away and all of a sudden the game looks very different again,” he said.
“But then again, you come back tomorrow, you get another roller, you can rest up and it’s a completely new opportunity. So I think for both teams there’s pros and cons. It’s just how it’s sort of fallen, but there’s not really much you can do as a player really. You just sit and wait and do what you’re told. So from our point of view, come back tomorrow and we’ve got an amazing spectacle to look forward to.”
© Cricbuzz
