Chris Woakes is poised to slip his left arm out of its sling and return to action just four days after a serious shoulder injury as England, with four wickets in hand, seek the 35 runs required to seal the final Test against India and with it the series.
The scans on the shoulder Woakes injured on the opening day may have suggested he would be out of action for many months, but the 36-year-old is preparing himself to bat if required.
“He’s all in, like the rest of us,” Joe Root said. “It’s been that kind of series, where guys have had to put bodies on the line.
“Hopefully it doesn’t get to that but he’s had some throw‑downs and he’s ready if needed. Clearly he’s in a huge amount of pain, but it means a huge amount to him and it just shows the character and the person that he is, that he’s ready to put his body on the line for England. Hopefully he doesn’t have to.”
Root’s 39th Test century, and his 195-run partnership with his fellow centurion Harry Brook carried England to the verge of victory only for India to swing momentum back in their direction with three quick wickets before rain fell to bring the day to an early end. But the manner and timing of his dismissal meant it was a day he looked back on with frustration rather than satisfaction.
“I was bitterly disappointed not to still be there and get us home,” Root said. “As an experienced batter in that situation, you’ve got to be able to absorb pressure and understand that they’re allowed to bowl well for periods of time, and then when you get your opportunities to counter that, you take them. I just misexecuted on that occasion. When you’re 100 not out you don’t expect that from yourself.”
England had reached 301 for three shortly before tea, pursuing a target of 374, when Brook was dismissed, with Root and Jacob Bethell following soon after the interval as India found fresh impetus. “You can’t really afford to throw in the towel in a very important Test match,” India’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel, said. “We’ve seen it so many times before where if you get one you can easily get two or three and create a bit of pressure. There were no hard words or big talk [at tea], it was just to stay calm and work hard.”
On completing his century Root took off his helmet and put on one of the charity headbands that have been sold around the ground this week in tribute to the former England batter, and Root’s former coach, Graham Thorpe. “This week it’s been amazing that Surrey and the ECB have recognised everything he did for English cricket as a player, as a coach, as a mentor and as a friend to the dressing room, to the game of cricket,” Root said.
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