By Trisha Ghosal in Birmingham
Edgbaston isn’t just a cricket ground for Chris Woakes. It’s home. It’s history. And on Day 1 of the second Test against India, it became something deeper — a place of memory and quiet tribute.
Bowling first under brooding Birmingham skies, Woakes was handed the new ball by Ben Stokes. The task: to harness the swing-friendly conditions and put India on the back foot. The response: typically Woakes. Measured, metronomic, and masterful.
His spell of 2 for 59 from 21 overs wasn’t about numbers. It was about presence. His control outside off, ability to move the Dukes ball late, and the subtle shifts in length kept the Indian top order on high alert. KL Rahul’s dismissal — bowled off an inside edge — came just as England needed a breakthrough. It triggered not just a celebration, but a roar from the Edgbaston crowd that felt almost personal.
For Woakes, it was.
In the post-day press conference, the 35-year-old revealed an emotional undercurrent to his performance. “My dad passed away last year,” he said. “He would have absolutely loved my spell today. I was missing him in the stands.”
That loss, that absence, hung quietly behind his every stride to the crease. And yet, he bowled like a man still trying to make his father proud.
He deserved more. Twice he had Jaiswal trapped on the crease, and twice the umpire’s call denied him. His frustration was visible, but he never wavered. When Nitish Kumar Reddy shouldered arms to one that jagged back and clipped off stump, it felt like poetic justice.
Even as Shubman Gill’s elegant century shifted momentum India’s way, Woakes’ contribution remained unmissable. On a pitch that flattened, he kept asking. Kept believing. Kept bowling.
At Edgbaston — the ground he knows better than any — Chris Woakes gave more than just a fine spell. He gave a performance touched with personal meaning. In the cauldron of Test cricket, it was a quiet moment of grace.
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