 "Chris Woakes injured his left shoulder while fielding on Day 1 of the final match at the Oval. Image: Reuters")
The England cricket team could be without all-rounder Chris Woakes for the remainder of the fifth Test against India as the 36-year-old injured his left shoulder while fielding on Day 1 of the final match at the Oval on Thursday. Woakes underwent scans on Thursday evening and a decision on his availability will be made ahead of Day 2.
“It doesn’t look great,” England pacer Gus Atkinson said after Day 1. “It’s a big shame, in the last game of the series. I’m hoping it’s not too bad and whatever it is he’ll get full support from everyone.”
Atkinson ready to push harder in Woakes’ absence
Atkinson, who was the pick of the bowlers for England on the opening day with two wickets, said he would be ready to push his limits to make up for Woakes if the all-rounder doesn’t return to action. “I feel fresh, I feel good,” he said. “I know I’ve only got this one game to play, so I can push the limits a bit.”
Atkinson also added that the green top at the Oval wasn’t necessarily bowler-friendly as England pacers were guilty of some indisciplined bowling on the opening day. India finished the day at 204/6 after suffering multiple rain interruptions.
“You look at the pitch, you look at the overheads and you think this should be easy for the bowlers, but it’s a ground where if you don’t bowl well you can go for a lot of runs,” said Atkinson. “It can be a tough ground to bowl on because of the way the ball moves – sometimes off the pitch, and it can swing a lot after it’s pitched. And the footholes weren’t easy. It was slippy out there and that can obviously affect the bowling.”
India still have Karun Nair batting on 52, his first major score since the triple ton against England 303 not out at the Chepauk in Chennai in December 2016. He would look to end his comeback series on a big note, with a century, and help India reach a solid first innings total in a match that is set to witness multiple rain interruptions.