England need 35 runs to win with four wickets in hand.
The fifth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between England and India is living up to its expectations. After all the four previous Tests have gone to the last day of the match, the fifth and final Test is set to be no different than the previous ones. England will come out to bat on the last day needing 35 runs to win, with four wickets in hand. The Indians have managed to pull the game back after a 195-run partnership between Harry Brook and Joe Root steered the game away from them. Once the wicket of Brook fell, conditions became lively and India exploited them well by scalping a couple of more wickets. But an important question lies with the availability of Chris Woakes.
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With the Test match poised so evenly, we are at the cusp of a very important question. Will Chris Woakes bat if England needs him to? The English fast bowler has dislocated his left shoulder on the first day of the Test at The Oval, and did not take further part in the match. But with England on the brink of a famous series victory, they might need Woakes to show some courage on the final day of the series.
Centurion Joe Root attended the press conference after the day’s play and confirmed that Chris Woakes is willing and ready to come out to bat if the team needs him to. Woakes was seen in the dressing room wearing whites and is certainly willing to walk out for his country if need be. In the previous Test match, we saw something very similar from Indian vice-captain Rishabh Pant, who walked out to bat despite having a fractured toe. These are the moments which make the sport what it is.
“You saw him in whites. Chris Woakes is all in. He is ready to put his body on the line for England”, said Joe Root about the English pacer.
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35 runs to get. Four wickets in hand. The ball doing a fair bit. A big advantage the hosts will have on the morning of Day 5 is the use of the heavy roller. The heaviness of the roller will even the surface and negate any lateral movement at least for the first hour. Fortunately, that is all the time in the world England need to get things done. Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton will walk out in the middle. For the Indians, a big hope will lie on the new ball, which is due in 3.4 overs.
But Chris Woakes walking out will definitely encourage England to go for their shots in the first 30 minutes of play on the final day. Woakes coming out to hold the bat will give the hosts some extra cushion towards the end of the innings. To expect anything more than just standing on the pitch will be asking a lot out of Woakes at this stage. But for England, that much could also mean the world.
Say if India strike a couple of blows in the first three overs of the day. It will then be down to the last three batters to drive them home. But, the hosts need to make sure that one out of the current two batters stays there till the end. If India manage to get both Smith and Overton early on Day 5, it could mean curtains for England. And the series might be drawn at 2-2. But with the game that Test cricket is, who knows?
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