Woakes may risk rehab over surgery to make Ashes

Chris Woakes says rehabilitation “could be a risk he’s willing to take” to be fit for the Ashes, rather than having surgery on the shoulder injury sustained in England’s fifth Test defeat against India.

The 36-year-old is waiting for the results of a scan after suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder on day one at the Oval.

England had ruled him out of the rest of the Test, but he still stepped out to bat with his left arm in a sling as they chased what would have been a series-clinching victory on a dramatic final morning.

The first Ashes Test begins in Perth on 21 November.

“I’m waiting to see what the extent of the damage is but I think the options will be to have surgery or to go down a rehab route and try and get it as strong as possible,” Woakes told BBC Sport.

“I suppose naturally with that there will be a chance of a reoccurrence, but I suppose that could be a risk that you’re just willing to take sort of thing.

“From what I’ve heard from physios and specialists is that the rehab of a surgery option would be closer to four months or three to four months. That’s obviously touching on the Ashes and Australia so it makes it tricky.

England needed 17 runs when Woakes came out at number 11. He did not face a ball but ran four runs, before Gus Atkinson was bowled to give India a six-run victory and leave the series level at 2-2.

Woakes received widespread praise from the public and across the sporting world for his bravery – something the all-rounder says he found surprising.

“In my eyes it was never a question [of going out to bat]. It was just a matter of ‘I was always going to do that’ and I believed anyone else in that dressing room would have done the same. So it’s not like it was just me making that decision,” he said.

“But yeah, I suppose it’s quite surprising how much people have sent the love, sent the support and said how brave it was. But as I said, in my eyes it was just business as usual.

“When you get the opportunity, you do what’s best for your team. In that moment it was to go out there and try and find a way with Gus at the other end to try and get us over the line.