Chris Woakes' iconic walk to the crease during the 2025 Oval Test against India stands as one of the most unforgettable displays of grit in recent cricket history.
Despite a severe left shoulder dislocation suffered on the opening day, the former England all-rounder chose to push through intense agony to try and salvage a fairytale series win for the hosts.
Chasing a daunting target of 374 runs, England experienced a rapid lower-order collapse triggered by Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj. When the ninth wicket fell, the Three Lions still needed 17 runs to win the match and the series. Refusing to let his team finish short, Woakes walked out as the No. 11 batter to a roaring standing ovation from the packed crowd.
To protect his injured shoulder, Woakes adopted an unconventional stance with his left arm entirely tucked inside his jumper and his right arm holding the bat. His batting partner, Gus Atkinson, did an exceptional job protecting Woakes from taking the strike.
In the end, India won by 6 runs after Siraj knocked over Atkinson, drawing the exhilarating series 2-2. Woakes remained unbeaten on 0 without facing a single delivery.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Chris Woakes opened up on the mixed feelings of relief and lingering regret that he couldn't face at least one ball.
“In a selfish way I didn’t want my wicket to be the deciding one, but part of me still wishes I could have faced a ball,” he said.
Woakes admitted he felt immense nervousness going into the unknown. “I don’t think I’ve ever been as nervous because I was going into the unknown. I was going to bat with one arm, which was never going to look pretty or be great. One of the things you have to get over is the thought that, when someone’s bowling at 90mph with a hard cricket ball, it can hurt even when you’re batting the right way round. It was a challenge to build up the courage to face that,” he added.
Knowing India’s fast bowlers would target either his stumps or his body, Woakes had to overcome his natural self-preservation instincts to step onto the field.
“In international arena it’s dog eat dog. So there was certainly some fear in the cauldron. It would be stumps or head, so I was going to have to wear a few. Your brain naturally tells you: ‘I don’t want to do this.’ But you have to get over that. We got [the run chase] down to seven because Gus Atkinson did fantastically well. So close, yet so far.”
The packed stadium gave Woakes a rousing standing ovation for his bravery, an experience he described as bittersweet and potentially a fitting "farewell" at the venue where he made his Test debut 12 years prior.
“It was amazing to go out like that but, in another way, quite sad,” he remarked. “To walk out in front of a full house, and get a standing ovation, was maybe meant to be my farewell. But it was a horrible moment as well. I had the agony of the shoulder, but there’s no worse feeling, especially as a bowler, when you leave the team handicapped: 10 v 11. Not many teams win from that position. That hurts.”
