I never considered not going out to bat against India: Chris Woakes

LONDON: England all-rounder Chris Woakes says not going out to bat due to a dislocated shoulder against India on the final day of the fifth Test was something he never considered, even as he wondered if his career was at risk when he suffered the injury.

Woakes came out with his left hand wrapped in a sling and tucked inside his sweater at the fall of the penultimate wicket with the fifth Test — Woakes said he felt it was his “duty to do it for everyone” and that he is still gutted that England lost the game.

“I don’t know what it is. You just know you’re part of something bigger. It’s not just you that you’re playing for out there,” Woakes, awaiting further scans, told The Guardian.

“It’s your team and your teammates, all the hard work and the sacrifices they put in, the people watching at home and in the ground. You just feel a duty to do it for 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,” he added.

Woakes said it felt nice to walk out to a standing ovation but does not read much into his heroic act.

“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,” he said.Woakes revealed he began practising batting one-handed from the fourth day onwards with England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick.

“I defended one normally and, oh mate, it was agony,” he said.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,” he said.

“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.”

“It was bittersweet in the end. (A) part of me wondered what it might be like, to see if I could have defended the ball, seen out an over maybe, squeezed a run or carved a four.”

He continued, “But the other side of it was: ‘Thank God I didn’t face a 90mph bouncer, one-handed, facing the wrong way around’. I knew I was going to have to wear a few bouncers if I did getThe outfield was wet from the rain, almost greasy, and my hand slipped as I landed and my full body weight went through my shoulder. I heard a pop and knew I was in trouble,” he said.