Narratives are more often than not constructed retrospectively after a day’s play. The state of the game at the close can warp the lens through which events earlier in the piece are viewed.
England are in a decent enough position at the end of day one. In old money, ‘only’ having the opposition five down at stumps after opting to bowl would represent a battle lost, but in this day and age where bowling first in England is almost the default call on what are generally flat surfaces, it is a fine result. Given the conditions, the fragile India tail to come and the visitors’ weakened bowling attack, this was a pretty good day for England.
It was a particularly important day for Chris Woakes who was at the heart of much of England’s good work. Coming into this Test on his home ground, there was genuine pressure around his place in the set-up. He was surprisingly ineffective in the first innings at Headingley and with the looming returns of Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Mark Wood, and the pacier duo of Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue growing in stature as Test cricketers, competition for places is about to step up a notch too. And given that England’s next assignment is an away tour to Australia, where Woakes possesses a torrid individual record, it is not a stretch to say that as he took the park on home turf this morning, the 36-year-old was fighting for his Test career.
His new-ball work was impeccable. On another day, with a more obliging umpire at the City End, Woakes would have finished his opening spell with figures of 6-4-8-3. Either side of having KL Rahul chop onto his stumps for the 12th time in his Test career, Woakes was denied two lbws – one against Jaiswal, the other to Nair – by umpire Sharfuddoula, both of which were reviewed, and both of which were shown by technology to be hitting the stumps but only ‘umpire’s call’. Neither were particularly marginal and the second decision, Nair shouldering arms to an in-swinger, left Woakes uncharacteristically incensed. On another day, Woakes’ new-ball work would have been the story of the day but it wasn’t to be.
Woakes’ work was far from done, though. In fact, it was his dismissal of Nitish Kumar Reddy in the third session that best sums up Woakes’ value as a bowler in home conditions. He moved a 61-over old Dukes inwards in the air and then off the seam. The India No.6 left the ball alone only to hear it clatter into his stumps moments later.
Woakes’ excellent home record is well known. Only seven English seamers have more wickets in home Tests, and only two of those men – Fred Trueman and Alec Bedser – possess a better average in England. But for a bowler renowned for his work with the new ball, he is a surprisingly potent old-ball operator in England where the Dukes ball is used.
In fact, his record with the old ball at home is remarkable. Against top seven batters between overs 51 and 80, Woakes averages a staggering 23. For context, the equivalent figures for Anderson and Broad are 46.20 and 31.60 respectively.
In the end, both sides will be reasonably content with their first day’s efforts at Edgbaston. Gill’s classy 114* will lead most headlines but on another day, it would have all been about Woakes. Nonetheless, his contributions may yet prove vital as England seek to put daylight between themselves and India in the series.
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