Chris Woakes coeurage not only helped England reclaim the No. He battled through, including on the opening day of The Oval, when he appeared to come out of action with a suspected dislocated shoulder. Woakes pursued a ball that had gotten away from wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel. That moment clearly left him on thin ice. Nevertheless, the English cricketer emerged to bat on the final morning of the match, showcasing his commitment to the team.
On Sunday that man was Woakes and he walked into the home dressing room. All he needed was his whites and he could step right back into the game. Even though he was initially ruled out for the remainder of the match after the second day, he took the courageous decision to walk out to bat. His arm was still in a sling, but that didn’t hold him back. He experienced tremendous pain. Even after hitting in the batting cages, he was unable to bat left-handed sans gloves. He opted for a unique left-handed style. This approach allowed his strong, healthy right arm to lead the bat as it provided protection with his less healthy left arm.
The bowler had strength and spirit in spades. Yet he only made four runs in his short 16-minute tenure at the crease. He actually saw out a single delivery before being out off the bowling of Gus Atkinson. This was all about Woakes, who had an almost primal need to defend his teammates’ honour. He simply knew he would be unable to forgive himself if he wasn’t batting for England when it really counted.
“I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I didn’t try,” – Chris Woakes
Woakes proved to be the linchpin though as the only ever-present member of England’s pace attack during all five Tests with India. He wrote, in part, about the emotional burden of playing those games. He admitted that the move was surreal. Where once he was gearing up for a landmark final week of campaigning, today he’s getting ready to soon be lying on a physiotherapist’s table, pondering his fate as an athlete because of the injury.
“It is so weird to go from the start of a Test week, thinking ‘one last push’, to ending up on a physio’s table wondering what the future holds,” – Chris Woakes
The former West Indies cricketer confessed that he felt nervousness at the thought of being bouncer bowled batting left-handed. He understood just how dangerous his stand was on the pitch. He understood that a wrong decision would lead to further casualties.
“And I knew I was going to have to wear a few bouncers if I did get on strike. Those were the anxious feelings, really. You’re still pretty exposed out there,” – Chris Woakes
Woakes is now awaiting news on the extent of his injury. That uncertainty has the potential to cast a huge shadow over his participation in this winter’s Ashes series. The sudden turn of events has left him heartbroken. He’d dreamt of his own fairytale finish to the series.
“I’m still gutted, devastated really, that we couldn’t get the fairytale,” – Chris Woakes
Though disappointed, Woakes said he has felt overwhelmed by the support he’s been afforded by fans and fellow players during this process. He admitted that their support helped carry him through the worst part of this situation so much so that he was not prepared for admission.
“The love from the public has helped,” – Chris Woakes
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