'I'm still gutted': Woakes reveals pain behind valiant stand vs India

I genuinely worried my shoulder had popped back out again, hence you saw me throw my helmet off, rip the glove off with my teeth, and check it was OK, says Chris Woakes

England all-rounder Chris Woakes has opened up about the excruciating physical and emotional toll he endured during England’s run-chase in the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval in London. In a revealing interview with The Guardian, Woakes said he was "devastated" by the defeat but never contemplated not walking out to bat.

 

'Never considered not going out there'

 

Despite being injured and visibly in discomfort, Woakes insisted that taking the field in such a critical moment was never in question. “I'm still gutted, devastated really, that we couldn't get the fairytale,” he said. “But I never considered not going out there, even if it had been 100 runs still to win or whatever.”

 

 

England were nine wickets down and still short of their target when Woakes came out to partner Gus Atkinson. While he did not face a delivery, his presence was met with a standing ovation and a show of respect from the Indian players. Woakes acknowledged the gesture but played down his own actions. “It was nice to have the ovation and some of the Indian players came over to show their respect. But any other player would have done the same. You couldn't just call it off at nine wickets down.” 

 

'I genuinely worried my shoulder had popped back out'

 

What the crowd and cameras didn’t immediately capture was the pain Woakes experienced while running singles with Atkinson. He disclosed that his right shoulder, already injured and strapped down, caused intense pain during his brief time on the field.

 

“The first one was the worst,” Woakes recalled. “All I had taken was codeine and it was just so sore. Instinct took over here – even with my arm strapped down I tried to run as you naturally do.”

 

His reaction was instinctive and alarming. “I genuinely worried my shoulder had popped back out again, hence you saw me throw my helmet off, rip the glove off with my teeth, and check it was OK.”  England pacer Chris Woakes has spoken for the first time about batting with a dislocated shoulder on the final day of the fifth Test against India at The Oval. The injury had ruled him out of action since Day One, but with England needing 35 runs and only four wickets in hand, Woakes padded up for a final stand. 

  India’s pace duo Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna turned the tide, reducing England to nine down. Displaying grit, Woakes walked in with his arm in a sling and, though he did not face a ball, continued to run singles with visible discomfort. In a recent interview, he said there was never a doubt in his mind about batting if called upon, and expressed heartbreak over England’s narrow six-run defeat.