Chris Woakes has told team-mates he will walk out to bat on Monday morning, sling and all, if England still need him to finish the job against India at The Oval. The all-rounder jarred – and probably dislocated – his left shoulder diving in the covers on day one, but has since practised batting one-handed in the indoor school and even pulled on his whites during the final session on Sunday.
England are 339 for 6, chasing 374, so another 35 runs will settle the fifth Test and the series 3-1. With Ben Foakes and Ollie Robinson at the crease, and Mark Wood still to come, Woakes may stay seated. Even so, captain Joe Root made it clear his willingness to bat had lifted the dressing-room.
“He’s all-in, like the rest of us,” Root said after his measured 105 set up the chase. “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 [the indoor school] at one point, and he’s ready if needed… He’s desperate to do what it takes.”
Throwdowns, for the casual reader, are the gentle under-arm feeds coaches offer in the nets – not exactly match pace but a decent test for a damaged limb. Whether Woakes attempts them right-handed, left-handed or a hybrid remains anyone’s guess. “I’m not sure,” Root admitted. “I’ve not seen him practice yet. You might get a better indication tomorrow if he has some throwdowns in the morning.”
Medical staff have withheld a full diagnosis until scans after the game, though privately they suspect a dislocation that could rule Woakes out of the rest of the summer and, in a worst-case scenario, the first Ashes Test in Perth on 21 November. That possibility did not soften Root’s admiration. “Clearly, he’s in a huge amount of pain having done what he’s done,” the captain said. “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.”
From a tactical angle, Woakes at No.11 – even one-armed – brings benefits. He is a naturally busy scorer, capable of nicking singles and rotating strike, which could partner a set batter for the handful of runs still required. The downside is obvious: one mistimed push and England are 3-2 winners rather than 3-1.
Root’s own hundred, compiled across four hours of patient, low-risk batting, featured a small but heartfelt tribute. On raising his bat, he donned one of Graham Thorpe’s trademark white headbands – part of a charity initiative this week – and pointed skywards. “It’s been amazing that Surrey as a club, and the ECB, have recognised everything that he’s done for English cricket as a player, as a coach, as a mentor, as a friend, to the dressing room, to the game of cricket,” Root said. “That [celebration] was on behalf of our team, really, and everything that he’s given and sacrificed for English cricket.”
“It is just really great to see the amount of love that there is for him and for his family as well… He’s someone that’s impacted” countless players, Root might have added, though words seemed to tail off as the moment caught up with him.
So, England return on Monday with the finish line in sight. A routine 35 runs would spare Woakes more pain and secure a memorable campaign. If cricket has taught us anything, though, it is never to rule out a final twist – or, in Woakes’s case, a final determined appearance with one good arm.
