On Day 5 of the fifth and final Test match, Chris Woakes, who is ailing, will bat if necessary, according to former England captain Joe Root. With four wickets left on the final day and England needing 35 runs, the Test match is intriguingly poised at The Oval.
In the first inning, Joe Root was unable to convert his start. On the penultimate day of the match, he scored his 39th Test century in the second innings, showcasing his class. He scored 105 runs off of 152 deliveries, including 12 fours. Root and Harry Brook’s 195-run partnership, which came off just 211 balls, helped the England squad, who had fallen to 106/3 early in the morning session and were in a bit of a bind.
Chris Woakes was seen in the England locker room wearing the whites during the last moments of Day 4. He will probably need surgery for the shoulder injury he sustained while fielding on Day 1. Nevertheless, Woakes is ready to battle the willow on Day 5 after not hitting in the first innings.
“Like the rest of us, he is fully committed. There have been series like that where men have had to risk their lives. I hope it doesn’t reach that point. However, he has previously had several throwdowns in this [the indoor school], and he is prepared if necessary. After Day 4’s play ended, Root remarked, “He’s desperate to do whatever it takes.”
For those who don’t know, the England seamer is having trouble with what appears to be a shoulder dislocation. The 36-year-old prepared to bat at No. 11 if necessary by practicing one-handed batting in the indoor school on Sunday and changing into his whites for the evening session.
“I don’t know. He hasn’t practiced yet, in my opinion. “If he has some throwdowns in the morning, you might get a better indication tomorrow,” Joe Root added.
He is obviously in a great deal of agony as a result of what he did: Chris Woakes is in a lot of agony, but he could pull off Rishabh Pant’s heroics from the fourth Test, when the wicketkeeper-batter bravely walked out to bat despite breaking his foot, according to Root, who crushed his 39th Test century on Sunday. Despite his willingness to bat through pain, the right-handed batter thought that Chris Woakes wouldn’t be needed because the other batters would be able to finish the job.
“After doing what he did, it’s obvious that he’s in a great deal of agony. As we’ve seen from other players in this series—[Rishabh] Pant batting with a fractured foot, players taking various hits here and there—it simply shows, but it means a great deal to him. It simply demonstrates his character and willingness to risk his life for England in that way. Hopefully, he won’t have to, but if he does, it will go a long way towards winning us an amazing series,” Root stated.
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