Woakes 'never Considered' Not Batting For England

Chris Woakes said he "wouldn't person been capable to unrecorded pinch himself" had he not tried to bat for England successful nan bonzer decorativeness to nan 5th Test against India.

The 36-year-old suffered a suspected dislocated enarthrosis connected nan first time astatine The Oval, yet still emerged to bat pinch his near limb successful a sling connected a melodramatic last morning.

England needed 17 runs erstwhile Woakes came retired astatine number 11. He did not look a shot but ran 4 runs, earlier Gus Atkinson was bowled to springiness India a six-run triumph and time off nan bid level astatine 2-2.

Speaking to The Guardian,, external Woakes said: "I'm still gutted, devastated really, that we couldn't get nan fairytale. But I ne'er considered not going retired there, moreover if it had been 100 runs still to triumph aliases whatever.

"But immoderate different subordinate would person done nan same. You couldn't conscionable telephone it disconnected astatine 9 wickets down."

Woakes was nan only personnel of nan England gait onslaught to play successful each 5 Tests against India. On nan first evening of nan 5th Test, he chased nan shot to nan bound and suffered nan suspected dislocation.

Before nan 2nd day, nan hosts ruled him retired of nan remainder of nan match, but Woakes offered to bat successful England's first innings, only to beryllium knocked backmost by coach Brendon McCullum.

On Sunday's 4th day, pinch England chasing a grounds 374 to win, he was pictured successful nan location dressing room successful his whites, fresh to bat.

Woakes had practised successful nan nets, first successful his accustomed right-handed stance, only to find that method was excessively painful. The Warwickshire man alternatively opted to bat left-handed, successful bid to put his patient correct limb astatine nan apical of nan grip successful power of nan bat, and his injured near limb arsenic acold distant from nan shot arsenic possible.

"I defended 1 usually [right-handed] and it was agony," he said. "We soon worked retired that a left-hander's stance would shield nan enarthrosis and astatine slightest let maine to benignant of artifact pinch my apical manus successful control. I deed a few, missed a few, but it felt for illustration nan only measurement to survive."

On Monday's 5th day, England were 17 runs adrift of triumph erstwhile Josh Tongue was bowled to go nan ninth wicket to fall. Though immoderate information unit rushed connected to nan outfield, believing nan crippled to beryllium over, Woakes appeared from nan dressing room to a hero's invited from nan crowd.

"I wouldn't person been capable to unrecorded pinch myself if I didn't try," he admitted.

"You conscionable cognize you're portion of thing bigger. It's not conscionable you that you're playing for retired there. It's your squad and your team-mates, each nan difficult activity and nan sacrifices they put in, nan group watching astatine location and successful nan ground. You conscionable consciousness a work to do it for everyone."

While Atkinson attempted to protect Woakes from nan strike, he was still required to run. On nan first occasion, a bye done to wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, Woakes was instantly successful clear discomfort.

"The first 1 was nan worst," he said. "All I had taken was codeine and it was conscionable truthful sore. Instinct took complete present - moreover pinch my limb strapped down I tried to tally arsenic you people do. I genuinely worried my enarthrosis had popped backmost retired again, hence you saw maine propulsion my helmet off, rip nan mitt disconnected pinch my teeth, and cheque it was OK."

Woakes ran 3 much runs during his 16-minute enactment astatine nan crease. Despite his bravery, England missed retired connected a 3-1 bid triumph and alternatively had to settee for a stock of nan Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

"It was bitter-sweet successful nan end," he added. "Part of maine wondered what it mightiness beryllium like, to spot if I could person defended nan ball, seen retired an complete maybe, squeezed a tally aliases carved a four.

"But nan different broadside of it was, 'Thank God I didn't look a 90mph bouncer, one-handed, facing nan incorrect measurement around'.

"And I knew I was going to person to deterioration a fewer bouncers if I did get connected strike. Those were nan anxious feelings, really. You're still beautiful exposed retired there."

Woakes is now waiting to observe nan afloat grade of nan injury, pinch his information successful this winter's Ashes bid successful terrible doubt.

His actions person been praised crossed nan sporting world and he said "the emotion from nan nationalist has helped".

"It's not nan measurement you want to beryllium front-page news - you'd sooner it was for 5 wickets aliases a century," added Woakes.

"It is truthful weird to spell from nan commencement of a Test week, reasoning 'one past push', to ending up connected a physio's array wondering what nan early holds."