England pacer Chris Woakes has spoken about the emotional moments that followed the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Woakes, who injured his shoulder during the fifth Test at The Oval, shared how Indian players, including Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill, reached out to him after the match.
Woakes had bowled just 14 overs in the first innings before getting injured. He did not take part in the match as a bowler again but still came out to bat with one hand in a sling on the final day.
He did not face a single delivery for obvious reasons but played his part well in running between the wickets. Despite his show of courage, India won the game by six runs and the series ended 2-2.
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Also read: Rishabh Pant Injury Update: Out of Asia Cup 2025, Comeback in West Indies Tests Unlikely - Report
"I Obviously Said Sorry for the Broken Foot" - Chris Woakes on Message Exchange With Rishabh Pant
Chris Woakes revealed that India captain Shubman Gill lauded his bravery after the match ended and he also praised him for the way he batted in the five-match series.
"Shubman said something like: 'That was incredibly brave'. I told him: 'You've had an unbelievable series, well played, and credit to your team,'" Woakes said as quoted to The Guardian.
In the fourth Test, Woakes had bowled the delivery that broke Rishabh Pant’s toe, ruling the Indian keeper out of the final game. Pant batted through his injury in Manchester, and Woakes walked out despite a dislocated shoulder in London.
Pant had posted a picture of Woakes on Instagram with a salute emoji after the England fast-bowler came out to bat on the final day of the fifth Test with a dislocated shoulder. Woakes responded with a message thanking him and wishing him well. Pant then sent a voice note saying he hoped Woakes recovered soon and that they would meet again on the field.
"I saw Rishabh had put an image of me on Instagram with a salute emoji, so I replied thanking him: 'Appreciate the love and hope the foot is OK' etc. He then sent me a voice note saying: 'I hope all is OK, good luck with the recovery and I hope we meet again out there some day.' I obviously said sorry for the broken foot," he added.
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Chris Woakes Backs Ben Stokes in Injury Substitution Debate
Despite his own injury, Woakes said he supports Ben Stokes' stand against allowing injury substitutions in Test matches.
"I'm with Stokesy, to be honest. Having played for 18 years, the game is what it is: you lose a player and as a team you have to find a way. It makes you more resilient and the team stronger. I do understand why people might think it's needed for freak injuries like mine but there would be too many grey areas or loopholes," Woakes stated.
This comes after India head coach Gautam Gambhir had called for a rule change when Pant was injured. But Stokes had rejected that idea and stood firm even after Woakes got injured at The Oval.
