Will Chris Woakes feature in remainder of Oval Test?
What's the story
England's fast-bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes suffered a shoulder injury during the opening day of the fifth and final Test match against India at The Oval. The unfortunate incident happened in the post-Tea session when Woakes was chasing a boundary. He left the field in visible pain after injuring his left shoulder while trying to save a boundary. England are now sweating upon his availability for the remainder of the game.
Injury impact
Woakes leaves field in visible pain
The incident occurred on the fifth ball of the 57th over when Karun Nair hit Jamie Overton down the ground. Woakes sprinted to stop the ball, successfully preventing a boundary as Nair ran three, but landed awkwardly and immediately clutched his shoulder before walking off. Liam Dawson replaced him as a substitute fielder.
Recovery expectations
Atkinson hopeful of Woakes's swift recovery
Atkinson, who dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel, admitted the injury didn't look pretty but expressed hope for Woakes's swift recovery. "I don't know too much, but it doesn't look great. It's the last game of the series, and it's always a big shame when anyone gets injured. I'm hoping it's not too serious," he said after the end of Day 1.
Performance
Woakes had dismissed Rahul
Before his injury, Woakes had impressive figures of 14-1-46-1, having dismissed KL Rahul. Now, it remains to be seen if he will be fit enough to participate in the rest of the Test match. It must be noted that Woakes and India's Mohammed Siraj are the only fast bowlers to feature in all five games of the ongoing series. Meanwhile, Atkinson has been performing well as one of the pace options in place of Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer.
Player readiness
Atkinson ready to step up if needed
As mentioned, Atkinson has already claimed the vital wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel, and even ran out Shubman Gill with a direct hit at the striker's end. After play, he said he's ready to take on more responsibility if Woakes is ruled out for the rest of the match. Notably, India finished the opening day at 204/6. Karun Nair showed great composure to score an unbeaten half-century against England's quicks.