Debasis Sen in London
England endured a major setback on Day 1 of the fifth Test against India, at The Oval, on Thursday, as Chris Woakes suffered a serious shoulder injury while chasing a ball in the 57th over. The 36-year-old all-rounder left the field clutching his left arm and is set to undergo a scan on Thursday evening. With his participation in the rest of the match now highly doubtful, England face a significant blow, losing their most experienced seamer at a critical juncture.
Woakes, who has bowled 181 overs in the series, is one of only two seamers—alongside India’s Mohammed Siraj—to have featured in all five Tests. He bowled 14 overs on Day 1, claiming the key wicket of KL Rahul. So far in the series, Woakes has taken 11 wickets at an average of 52.18. His absence leaves a relatively inexperienced pace attack comprising Gus Atkinson, Craig Overton, and Josh Tongue, who between them had played just 18 Tests heading into this match.
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The onus now falls squarely on 26-year-old Atkinson, who has emerged as England’s rising star and is now tasked with leading the bowling unit in just his 13th Test. Atkinson has had a rapid rise since his debut, marked by impressive performances and resilience in the face of personal tragedy following the death of his mother, Caroline, in a car crash, a few years back.
“It doesn’t look great,” Atkinson said regarding Woakes’ injury. “It’s a big shame when anyone gets injured. I’ll be surprised if he takes any part in the game, but he’ll get the full support from everyone.”
Atkinson has made a strong impact since breaking into the national side. Despite missing the first four Tests of the series due to a hamstring injury, he returned for the final match with an excellent performance—claiming 2-31 in 19 overs and pulling off a crucial run-out of Indian captain Shubman Gill.
In his brief but remarkable Test career, Atkinson has already taken 55 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 22.31. His debut was historic as he took a 10-for against the West Indies. He then composed a hundred versus Sri Lanka. During that season, he took 33 wickets in five matches, surpassing Fred Trueman’s record of 29 wickets for the most wickets in a maiden Test summer for England.
Despite the emotional burden, Atkinson remains composed and focused. “I feel fresh and ready,” he said. “It’s great to be back playing at my home ground for such an important game.”
With a 3-1 series win in sight, England will now be banking on Atkinson to play a pivotal role in the absence of Woakes as they look to close out the summer on a high.
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