Woakes injury mars England’s bizarre opening day

The Kia Oval, Day One of the Fifth Rothesay Test, is scheduled for today.

India 204-6: Nair 52*, Atkinson 2-31, Tongue 2-47

England has yet to bat.

The toss was won by England.

On a bizarre opening day of the decisive Test, Chris Woakes’ shoulder injury prevented England from taking six wickets.

Woakes suffered a minor injury to an underperforming England pace-bowling attack after chasing the ball past the boundary late in the day at The Oval and exited the game with his left arm in a makeshift sling.

The outcome of the series could be affected significantly by the injury. With three seamers and Joe Root’s spin, England could be without them to avoid defeat and claim a 2-1 victory.

England reduced the visitors to 204-6 in the 64 overs that were open on either side of two sluggish rain delays.

After winning the series’ fifth time, the England bowling veered from sublime to ridiculous after winning the toss.

Josh Tongue’s effort, which included two near-unplayable deliveries that saw both Sai Sudharsan and Ravindra Jadeja caught behind, was typified by the home side’s effort.

The curious cricket didn’t end there. Shubman Gill, the series’ captain for India, resigned after releasing a ridiculous single. In his subsequent play, Cowler Gus Atkinson picked up the ball, but his direct hit tore Gill short of his feet.

With a hamstring injury, Atkinson, England’s best bowler, had a good day. In his first senior game in more than two months, he was comfortably at his best.

India stayed in thanks to Karun Nair’s resolve from 153-6, which kept the day 52 fresh.

Without injured captain Ben Stokes, long-term absentee Mark Wood, and worn-out pair Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse, England was already without them. Sam Cook and Matthew Potts have been overlooked.

The Woakes’ injury is a huge blow because it is difficult to field a makeshift attack in such a crucial Test. There must be concern for his future as an international cricket player at the age of 36.

It arrived at the conclusion of a bizarre day. An odd spectacle was created by the weather, aching bodies, and injuries that forced both teams to make four different changes.

Ollie Pope, who would have contested the toss against Stokes on a green field in the stand-in, would have been desperate. An incredible 15th consecutive toss that India’s men have lost across formats was again incorrectly called by Gill. This was the 22nd first-class game in a row that the captain’s winning toss was playing on.

England should likely be stronger in a stronger position given the circumstances. When India bowls, they will fully understand how effective their bat-wielding effort is. Tourists shouldn’t find it difficult to demonstrate greater consistency and, in turn, to take advantage of the assistance provided.

In this series, England hasn’t had the same sort of success as England when they bowled better on flatter surfaces. India’s third-highest scorer was the 30 extras that the hosts offered.

Tongue led the series as a bowler with 11 wickets before being dropped after two Tests. It would be an understatement to describe his return as a day of contrasts.

His first ball, which went to KL Rahul, was sprayed five wide down the leg. In his first over, he added two more wide bowls, including one that went for five. Tongue’s first five overs, which included 18 runs, came out despite the wides, and when he came back after the two raindrops, he still missed his lines between his two jaffas.

He bowled two nearly identical deliveries that angled in, slammed away, and took the edge when he was bowling the left-handed pair of Sudharsan and Jadeja.

Atkinson was accurate if Tongue was a maniac, easing any doubts about his lack of cricket. He only needed seven balls to get Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw on review, executed the Gill run out, and added bounce to get the poking Dhruv Jurel caught on second slip.

The calamitous runaway runaway from Gill, who has occasionally appeared unmovable in the series, continued to cause their issues on the square.

Gill and Sudharsan had a great relationship, but their judgment was horrifying. Just two pitches into the defensive, his shot rolled. Too late to surpass Atkinson’s swoop and precise throw, the captain started and Sudharsan sent him back.

Nair’s inclusion in the India side came as a surprise because he has had a mixed series and was not selected for the fourth Test. His opposition restored India’s faith.

Nair only managed four of his first 26 balls, and he only managed to escape with one more after Woakes’ inside edge fell short. He scored with admirable glances as England frequently sprinted across the pads.