THIS IS ALL WOAKES!
Passes Test with century
GENUINE all-rounders are the precious diamonds of Test cricket – and England have another shining jewel in Chris Woakes.
He demolished India in the second Test yesterday at Lord’s to score a maiden Test century, fittingly at the home of cricket.
The majestic knock from Woakes inspired England to take complete command of the match – and gave him the rare privilege of a place on both the bowling and batting honours boards.
He also received an emotional standing ovation from the crowd and his team-mates on the dressing room balcony.
They know the unassuming, mild-mannered all-rounder is one of the true nice guys of sport.
Woakes was only called up for this game because Ben Stokes was absent as he stands trial on a charge of affray at Bristol Crown Court in a court case expected to finish in midweek.
“They are big shoes to fill but I tried not to think about that and play my own game. I felt I did that,” he said of standing in for Stokes.
What a replacement he has been – with bat and ball. On Friday he captured the crucial wicket of India captain Virat Kohli in a sublime spell of swing bowling.
Yesterday he pulverised the visitors with an innings of 120 not out that gave him a place in history and left England on 357-6 at the close, with a formidable lead already of 250 runs.
Only six other Englishmen in history have achieved the distinction of featuring on both honours boards – Gubby Allen, Ray Illingworth, Ian Botham, Freddie Flintoff, Stuart Broad and Stokes himself.
Woakes now belongs in their company after this special day.
His daughter Layla was born just five weeks ago and life could not be sweeter for him this summer.
“The arrival of the baby has been a shock to the system,” he said. “But it’s fantastic and put things in perspective.
“I’ve had some injury problems this summer but today was so sweet.”
He had arrived at the crease with England wobbling at 131-5 just after lunch in replay to India’s meagre first innings total of 107. Another wicket then and the match would have been up for grabs.
Instead, the class and calm control of Woakes totally transformed the game as he flourished in a superb partnership of 189 for the sixth wicket with Jonny Bairstow.
Batting conditions were very far from being a picnic. Ball was fizzing past the bat with regularity and five of England’s skittish top six failed to get past 30.
But Woakes and Bairstow earned whatever luck carried them on their merry way.
They also began to pepper the boundary with delicious drives and pulls as India’s trio of fast bowlers began to tire in the afternoon and the visiting spinners failed to provide any joy.
Woakes motored swiftly after the tea interval, going past his previous best Test score of 66 – also made at Lord’s – and apparently nerveless in the 90s.
The century was reached with a lofted drive into the leg-side and celebrated with a huge swish of his bat and the widest smile you will see from a cricketer in a long time.
Bairstow just failed to register his own hundred on the day, caught behind on 93 off the bowling of Hardik Pandya and emulate his century at Lord’s two summers ago.
Some players are simply inspired by playing at the home of cricket, and Woakes is one of them. In fact, his stats here are without equal. His bowling average at Lord’s is under 10; his batting average above 100. They are incredible numbers.
Bairstow’s departure brought in another promising all-rounder in Sam Curran and he instantly bashed India’s left-arm leg-spin bowler Kuldeep Yadav out of the action with some powerful shots to the rope.
Yes, it seems England will be able to cope for however long Stokes may be unavailable for selection. Curran finished the day 22 not out.
Earlier on we had seen Curran’s fellow Surrey star Ollie Pope make his Test debut at the age of 20. He looked a natural at this level, clipping his second ball faced to the boundary with some ease and scoring a polished 28 before being trapped plumb lbw by Pandya.
The more senior batsmen flattered to deceive – Alastair Cook was caught behind for 21 and captain Joe Root fell leg before to Mohammed Shami for just 19 runs.
Jos Buttler, who made a curiously quick-fire 24 after lunch, was another lbw victim for the willing and wily Shami.
England will have power to add more runs to their lead this morning. And although some rain is forecast for today and tomorrow, there ought to be enough time to bowl out India for a
second time and take a 2-0 series lead.