Follow UsChris Woakes did not bat in the first innings for England, and he did not bowl in the second innings as he was almost ruled out of the game on Day 1 itself, making England play with 10 men. It is almost like a football team playing with a 9-man outfield, always being at a disadvantage.
However, the 11th man would be dramatically available, if required to bat and see England through on Day 5 of the fifth Test at the Oval, confirmed one of the two Day 4 centurions, Joe Root.
“You saw him in whites… Chris Woakes is all in!” Root said at the end of Day 4.
“Woakes is ready to put his body on the line,” he added.
This would not be the first time that a player injured, almost ruled out of the game, would come back and bat for his team. Rishabh Pant did that in the first innings of the Manchester Test.
England need 35 more to win with four wickets in hand and two recognised batters, Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton, at the crease. However, this would not have been the case if Root had continued batting like he did before getting to his century.
When Root and Jacob Bethell were batting in the middle, England were cruising towards the target, needing only 42 more to get with six wickets in hand. However, Bethell played a reckless shot and got bowled by Prasidh Krishna. Root followed, and he was frustrated about not being able to finish the job.
"I should have hit that for four. I missed my execution. Nothing to do with the first innings,” Root said about his dismissal.
Will India be able to pull off what England did at Lord’s, snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat? Or will England seal the series 3-1? The first session on Day 5 would be enough to tell this, if the weather permits.