India vs England: 'Cheat code' Chris Woakes a cause for concern for Men in Blue

Before this Test started it had been a year and eight days since Chris Woakes had last been seen in England whites – two days into the match it is an absence India are dearly wishing had lasted just a little bit longer. The final day drama of the second Test at Lord’s – giving India a richly deserved 1-0 lead – had seemed like a defining moment in this series, then came the shock of 78 all out and defeat at Headingley . Now the series is 1-1, the fourth Test two days old and fascinatingly evenly poised – CricViz putting just 1% between each side’s chances of victory. In a topsy turvy series of a sport famously prone to drastic and unexpected changes in fortune, predictions of any certainty for where this match is headed seem beyond the capabilities of most. [caption id=“attachment_9937071” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  Chris Woakes scored 50 runs to go with four wickets in the first innings of the fourth Test against India. AP[/caption] In India’s corner they are no doubt the superior side, not long removed from challenging for the Test Championship crown , their lineup more settled and experienced. Then again, England have Chris Woakes. Sam Curran may well have been the thorn in India’s side the last time the sides met on these shores, but England replacing him with Woakes at this point in the series feels less like an upgrade and more like a cheat code. When England won the toss and chose to bowl on Day 1 , it is fair to say they were not banking on James Anderson’s first four overs going for 20 runs. No problem though, enter Woakes. Six balls later and India’s best batsman of the series was on his way back to the hutch, fending one through to the keeper. It kickstarted another fine bowling performance from England – sullied a little but not ruinously by Shardul Thakur’s lower-order blasting – with Woakes at its heart. By the time India were bowled out for 191, Woakes had 4/55 – in one innings he had claimed more scalps than Curran had managed in the past three Tests. Even shorn of Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad , England’s bowling attack was suddenly looking a good deal more deadly. With Woakes back in England’s side, India certainly have cause to be concerned for their prospects in the remainder of the series, after all he is a man who at home averages 35.92 with the bat and a fear-inducing 22.56 with the ball – as a comparison England’s absent talisman Ben Stokes averages 38.90 and 31.96 under the same stipulations. If Day 1 was all about Woakes with the ball, on Day 2 he showcased just how useful he is with the bat. Ollie Pope may well have provided the bulk of England’s runs , but Woakes was on hand to add the vital garnish, a half century from 60 balls, as he helped the hosts put on 67 runs for their final three wickets. And all this from a man who came in to bat at number nine – and while this was one place lower than usual due to the deployment of Craig Overton as a nightwatchman, having a batsman of Woakes’ calibre at number eight – highest Test score 137*, average of 27.97 – is a luxury most teams would kill for. Indeed as he swatted those crucial lower order runs – giving England an eventual lead of 99 – steam almost visibly pouring out of Virat Kohli’s ears with every one added, the contrast with India’s tail could scarcely have been more stark. Even the addition of Thakur just means they play this Test with three number 11s instead of four. This Test looks set to go down to the wire, the outcome too close to call. Putting national allegiances to one side, it is almost impossible to say which camp you would rather be in at this point – perhaps then if in doubt you’d pick the one that has Chris Woakes.