In yet another twist in the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy, England have confirmed that pacer Chris Woakes will be available to bat if required during the final day of play at Kensington Oval on Monday. Notably, the fifth Test match is on the line, with India needing four wickets to draw the series 2–2, while a win on Monday would help the hosts seal the series 3–1. 

English batter Joe Root, while confirming the development during the post-day press conference, said, “You probably saw him in his whites in the dressing room. So he’s all-in like the rest of us. It’s been that kind of series where guys have had to put bodies on the line,”

Root then went on to reference the bravado shown by Rishabh Pant during the Manchester Test to state that Woakes would undergo a huge amount of pain for his team as well.

“Clearly, he’s in a huge amount of pain having done what he’s done. It just shows, as we’ve seen from other guys in this series, Rishabh Pant batting with a broken foot, guys taking all sorts of blows here and there, but it means a huge amount to him,” Root added. 

“Hopefully it doesn’t get to that, but he had some throwdowns here at one point, and he’s ready if needed,” he further stated.

Notably, Woakes had injured his shoulder while fielding on the boundary line during the first day of the Test match. The England and Wales Cricket Board had promptly gone on to announce that the pacer had dislocated his shoulder and would play no further part in the match.

Young Team India look to level the series

A tired set of Indian pacers will look to seal the match for their team as they try their luck against the pair of Jamie Smith and James Overton on the fifth day. Mohammed Siraj has taken two wickets in the match and has been the pick of the Indian bowlers, having bowled 26 overs and troubled the batters from the first match onwards. 

Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna has also looked sharp for India, taking three crucial wickets of Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jacob Bethell. Akash Deep, on the other hand, has blown hot and cold, looking very impressive with the new ball but struggling to get into his rhythm with an older ball.