England faced a huge setback on Day 1 of the fifth and final Test at The Oval as all-rounder Chris Woakes walked off the field nursing an injured shoulder. The incident occurred in the post-Tea session when Woakes hurt his left shoulder while chasing a boundary.
The injury occurred on the fifth delivery of the 57th over. Karun Nair drove Jamie Overton down the ground straight, and Woakes went to chase. Though he managed to save the boundary and restrict India to three runs, Woakes landed awkwardly while diving and could be seen holding his shoulder in pain before he walked off.
“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, and whatever it is, he’ll have everyone’s full support,” Atkinson mentioned in the press conference
Before being injured, Woakes had bowled 14 overs, giving away 46 runs and claiming the crucial wicket of KL Rahul. It is unclear if he will be able to get back onto the field for the rest of the match.
The young pacer, Atkinson was drafted in as a replacement for Jofra Archer, has already made big contributions. He dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel with the ball and displayed his fielding talent by pulling off a direct-hit run-out to get rid of Shubman Gill.
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Talking after the day’s play, Atkinson stated that he is “fresh and ready” to do more if required. His show was one of the positives for England as they hope to gain an edge in the series decider.
India ended the day at 204 for six after they bounced back from a collapse at 153 for six, thanks to a gritty unbeaten stand between Washington Sundar and Karun Nair (52*). England will look to tidy up the tail in a hurry on Day 2 to take control of the match.
