Chris Woakes ‘frustrated’ with close umpiring decisions denying him wickets during Day 1
Chris Woakes wore a look of visible frustration during the second Test in Birmingham after a tight LBW call involving Yashasvi Jaiswal went against England. The veteran seamer, who led the English attack with figures of 2 for 59 from 21 overs, including the key wickets of KL Rahul and Nitish Kumar Reddy, was left ruing the fine margins, particularly the one that allowed Jaiswal to carry on early in his innings.
The flashpoint came when Jaiswal was struck on the pads during a probing spell from Woakes. Ball-tracking showed the delivery grazing the top of the off-stump, resulting in umpire’s call and a reprieve for the left-hander. Woakes, who had steadily built pressure from his end, was clearly unimpressed as the decision tipped the balance away from England during a crucial phase.
Opting to bowl first on a green-tinged surface under cloudy skies, England had hoped for early breakthroughs. But Jaiswal’s early let-off and composed 87 swung the momentum India’s way, setting the tone for a strong opening day.
Karun Nair also escaped a close shout despite offering no shot and being struck on the pads. The missed chances proved costly as Jaiswal went on to make a commanding 87, while Nair contributed a fluent 31 off 50 balls, helping India reach a strong position by stumps.
Woakes said in a press interview later, “Well, yes, it’s really frustrating. These are decisions which can go your way, but this is the game we play and we move on.”
‘There’s enough in the pitch’
Following the quick dismissals of Rishabh Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy, India, with the partnership of Ravindra Jadeja and Shubman Gill, were able to put 310 on board with the fall of 5 wickets after 85 overs.
Despite India’s recovery, however, Woakes remained optimistic on the hosts’ chances heading into Day 2.
“It’s still a good pitch. There’s enough in it if you hit the right areas. We’ve got wickets at regular intervals. If we can break this stand early tomorrow, we’re still in the game,” Woakes said.
Woakes also lauded Shubman Gill following his yet another calm and composed ton, an innings built on patience, grit and precision that featured 12 boundaries.
“It was a great hundred. He did really well for his team. He managed to absorb pressure and then capitalise,” Woakes added.
With momentum still favouring India, England will look to strike early on day 2 to claw their way back into the contest.
