ENG vs IND 2025: 'Never considered not going out to bat' - Chris Woakes reveals struggles of batting with injury at The Oval

England all-rounder Chris Woakes was said to have been prepared to bat on the final day of the fifth Test at The Oval, despite having a dislocated shoulder. The injury had occurred on Day 1 of the match, after which he played no further part until the final innings.

With England needing 35 runs and four wickets in hand on Day 5, Indian pacers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna bowled with impressive control using the old ball, managing to dismiss three English batters in the morning session. Woakes eventually came out to bat with his injured arm supported in a sling. Although he did not face a delivery, he contributed by running between the wickets to keep the chase alive alongside Gus Atkinson, helping England inch closer to the target.

He felt disappointed with the final outcome, as England fell just six runs short of victory, resulting in the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy ending in a 2-2 draw.

“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. It was nice to have the ovation and some of the Indian players came over to show their respect. But any other player would have done the same. You couldn't just call it off at nine wickets down,” Woakes told The Guardian.

Although he did not face a single delivery, running between the wickets with Atkinson was a challenging task for Woakes. He was visibly in discomfort while attempting singles, and later shared the extent of pain he had experienced during those moments.

“The first one was the worst. All I had taken was codeine and it was just so sore. Instinct took over here – even with my arm strapped down I tried to run as you naturally do. I genuinely worried my shoulder had popped back out again, hence you saw me throw my helmet off, rip the glove off with my teeth, and check it was OK,” Woakes said.