Chris Woakes’ maiden Test hundred put England in a dominant position by the end of the third day of the second Test against India, 250 runs ahead with four wickets in hand.
Pope’s impression
You’re 20 years old and you look a lot younger. You’re making your Test debut at the most prestigious ground in the world against the best team in the world. You walk out to bat with your side 32-2, batting in the top four and inside the first 10 overs for the first time in your nascent first-class career. Already 12 wickets have fallen for 139 in the game, all but one of them to seam and swing. Your first ball is on a good length on middle, and you play it calmly. The second is even better, honing in on middle stump, testing your technique early. What do you do? If you’re Ollie Pope, you lean across and flick it sweetly for four, and then flash an even sweeter smile for good measure.
This was the best Woakes has looked on the Test stage, fluent, composed and technically all there in conditions in which some of the best in the world struggled. Having made his debut at No.6 he has always been thought of as an all-rounder, and a high score of 66 prior to today didn’t do him justice. In this innings, his average nudged above 30, where it belongs.
Kuldeep’s freebies
Not a pivotal moment in the context of the game – Sam Curran entered with England’s lead over 200 and the only question was whether a pre-stumps declaration was imminent – but symbolically, left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav serving up full tosses, gleefully dispatched by the 20-year-old, was huge. He was supposed to be a weapon, and England played him with ease.
Playing his first Test of the tour, he struggled to have anywhere near the impact he had in the ODI and T20 series, showing that switching between limited-overs and Test cricket is no easy feat. It also demonstrated the contrasting trajectories of the two sides. India, having won three of the first four games, now face a huge struggle not to lose their fourth in a row.
