Woakes Injury Mars England's Bizarre Opening Day

Fifth Rothesay Test, The Kia Oval (day 1 of five)

India 204-6: Nair 52*, Atkinson 2-31, Tongue 2-47

England: yet to bat

England won nan toss

Scorecard

England someway took six India wickets connected a bizarre opening time of nan decisive Test that was marred by a enarthrosis wounded to Chris Woakes.

Woakes was wounded chasing nan shot to nan bound precocious successful nan time astatine The Oval and went from nan section pinch his near limb successful a makeshift sling, a further wounded to a depleted England pace-bowling attack.

It is an wounded that could person superior ramifications to nan result of nan series. England, needing to debar conclusion to unafraid a 2-1 win, could beryllium near pinch 3 seamers and nan rotation of Jacob Bethell and Joe Root.

In nan 64 overs that were imaginable either broadside of 2 chunky rainfall delays, England reduced nan visitors to 204-6.

The scoreline does not show nan afloat communicative of England's bowling, which veered from sublime to ridiculous aft they won nan flip for nan 5th clip successful nan series.

The location side's effort was typified by Josh Tongue, who astatine times struggled to support nan shot connected nan trim portion and besides bowled 2 near-unplayable deliveries to person some Sai Sudharsan and Ravindra Jadeja caught behind.

The funny cricket did not extremity there. India skipper Shubman Gill, successful specified prolific shape this series, ran himself retired trying to return a ludicrous single. Bowler Gus Atkinson picked up nan shot successful his follow-through and his nonstop deed near nan turning Gill short of his ground.

That was portion of a bully time for Atkinson, comfortably England's champion bowler successful his first elder crippled successful much than 2 months aft a hamstring injury.

From 153-6, India hung successful done nan determination of Karun Nair, who ended nan time 52 not out.

It near honours conscionable astir even, though England will surely now person to find a measurement to get done without Woakes.

England were already without injured skipper Ben Stokes, semipermanent absentee Mark Wood, and exhausted brace Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse. Matthew Potts and Sam Cook person been overlooked.

To section a makeshift onslaught successful specified a important Test is acold from ideal, truthful nan wounded to Woakes is simply a immense blow. At nan property of 36, location must beryllium a interest for his early arsenic an world cricketer.

It came astatine nan extremity of a surreal day. The weather, weary bodies and injuries that forced some teams into 4 changes apiece contributed to an overseas spectacle.

Standing successful for Stokes, Ollie Pope would person been hopeless to triumph nan flip nether a leaden entity connected a greenish pitch. Gill again called incorrectly, an unthinkable 15th consecutive flip that India's men person mislaid crossed formats. This was nan 22nd successive first-class lucifer connected this crushed wherever nan skipper winning nan flip has chosen to field.

Given nan conditions, England astir apt should beryllium successful a stronger position. The worth of India's effort pinch nan bat will beryllium afloat revealed erstwhile they travel to bowl. It should not beryllium difficult for nan visitors to show greater consistency and truthful utilization nan assistance connected offer.

Despite their mixed time pinch nan ball, and nan nonaccomplishment of Woakes, England are still 1 beardown batting effort distant from winning nan series. They will person to excavation incredibly heavy complete nan last 4 days of nan Test summer.