Chris Woakes batted with his arm in a sling on the final day of the fifth Test, saying he 'never considered' not coming out despite injury.
England needed 17 runs when he joined Gus Atkinson, but India won by six to level the series 2-2.
Woakes, who didn’t face a ball, revealed he’d prepared to bat left-handed and now races to be fit for the Ashes.
India Vs England: Chris Woakes Says Skipping Final Day Never Crossed His Mind
The 36-year-old injured his shoulder on the first day of the Test at The Oval when fielding, but came out to bat in the final innings despite his left arm being in a sling
Summary
Chris Woakes revealed that he “never considered” not batting on the final day of the fifth Test against India.
The 36-year-old injured his shoulder on the first day of the Test at The Oval when fielding, but came out to bat in the final innings despite his left arm being in a sling.
England needed just 17 runs to win the match and the series when Woakes joined Gus Atkinson out in the middle, but India managed to secure a six-run victory to draw the thrilling series 2-2.
Woakes did not end up facing any deliveries, but he said he “wouldn't have been able to live with himself” if he decided not to bat.
“I'm still gutted, devastated really, that we couldn't get the fairytale. But I never considered not going out there, even if it had been 100 runs still to win or whatever,” Woakes told The Guardian.
“But any other player would have done the same. You couldn't just call it off at nine wickets down.
“I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I didn't try.
“You just know you're part of something bigger. It's not just you that you're playing for out there. It's your team and your team-mates, all the hard work and the sacrifices they put in, the people watching at home and in the ground.
“You just feel a duty to do it for everyone.”
After practicing in the nets the day before, Woakes said he would have taken the stance of a left-handed batter in order to protect his shoulder.
Despite being glad he did not face any bouncer from the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Woakes now faces a race against time to be fit for this winter’s Ashes series.
“It was bitter-sweet in the end,” Woakes added. “Part of me wondered what it might be like, to see if I could have defended the ball, seen out an over maybe, squeezed a run or carved a four.
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“But the other side of it was, 'Thank God I didn't face a 90mph bouncer, one-handed, facing the wrong way around'.
“And I knew I was going to have to wear a few bouncers if I did get on strike. Those were the anxious feelings, really. You're still pretty exposed out there.
“It's not the way you want to be front-page news - you'd sooner it was for five wickets or a century.
“It is so weird to go from the start of a Test week, thinking 'one last push', to ending up on a physio's table wondering what the future holds.”
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