England v India: 'Everyone will be happy for Chris Woakes after maiden Test century'
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England v India: Woakes century puts England in control
Everyone in and around English cricket will be so happy for Chris Woakes after his fine maiden Test century at Lord's.
Woakes is the most popular individual in the English game. He is such a team man: personable, totally unselfish, always wanders over to say hello.
He is the sort of person who everybody wants to do well, especially after his struggles with injury this year.
A few years ago - although I got laughed out of town - I said that if England were in a situation where they needed to play an extra bowler to win the last Test of a series, for example, he could open the batting.
He showed on day three of the second Test against India that he is a solid player, with a very straightforward technique - and he did a brilliant job for England when they could have found themselves in trouble.
The hosts were 131-5 when he came to the crease, and India were forcing themselves back into the match.
Woakes played an innings ideal for the occasion. He reined Jonny Bairstow in when he was getting a little reckless, and played a sensible, potentially match-winning unbeaten 120 to help England close on 357-6 - a lead of 250.
He clearly loves playing at Lord's. His record here is astonishing.
Lord's is a special place and it produces the best out of people. I can see why Woakes bowls well here. The slope helps, and he has the breeze that comes in from fine leg to help him swing the ball away.
He has had a golden game and it was important for him to re-establish himself with the ball in Ben Stokes' absence.
It has all gone right for him so far, from dismissing Virat Kohli with the ball to scoring a wonderful unbeaten hundred.
Bairstow battles after more top order troubles
It was good to see Bairstow back in the runs, too, although he will be disappointed to fall for 93, within sight of a century.
He had an interesting first 25 runs or so. He does give you a chance early in his innings because he goes hard at the ball. A batting coach may say that you are trying to hit the ball too hard then your timing is not quite right.
But that is the way Bairstow plays. He likes to impose himself, be in the bowler's face a bit. It is the sort of character he is out in the middle, and that is the way he bats.
He was helped by having Woakes there, and their 179-run stand for the sixth wicket took the game away from India.
That is not to say it all went England's way. There are still issues with their top order, who got themselves trapped on the crease.
Root falls to final ball before lunch
I was a bit surprised at the way they burned through their two reviews in trying to overturn decisions against Keaton Jennings and Ollie Pope. That was a bit reckless.
To not even get umpire's call on an lbw decision is pretty bad - and that happened on both of them.
I liked the look of Ollie Pope. He is a wristy, busy player and he played a beautiful stroke off the back foot, square through the off side, that I really liked.
But India were not at their best with the ball and they bowled particularly poorly at him.
The seamers bowled at leg stump, he knocked the ball around and put it away very easily. You have to put the ball outside his off stump and see how patient he is, and India just did not do that.
As I said on Friday, the selection of wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav was sensible, but India have got their team selection wrong.
They have picked a team for a flat pitch and, without Umesh Yadav, they are a seam bowler short. There is variable bounce from this pitch and that is not something you want to see as a batsman against the quicker bowlers.
It is very unlikely they can save this Test. If England get going on Sunday, with some cloud and moisture around, James Anderson, Woakes, Stuart Broad and company will back themselves to secure victory.
Jonathan Agnew was speaking to BBC Sport's Amy Lofthouse.
- Published11 August 2018
- Published10 August 2018
- Published10 August 2018
