India captain Shubman Gill paid tribute to Chris Woakes after he heroically came out to bat with a dislocated shoulder during England’s dramatic defeat in the fifth Test.
Woakes walked to the crease with his arm in a sling to support Gus Atkinson when England needed 17 to win the final Test and the series.
Atkinson farmed the strike for two overs, keeping the injured Woakes at the non-striker’s end, before the Surrey bowler was bowled by Mohammed Siraj with England falling just seven runs short of victory.
India’s dramatic victory deprived England of a series-clinching win at the Oval, with the epic series instead finishing 2-2.
The India team to a man approached Woakes to commend him on his bravery to come out to bat with a dislocated shoulder
Speaking after the six-run win, India captain Gill said: ‘I didn’t expect him to come out like that, batting with one hand. Kudos to him.
‘It was very, very brave. I didn’t expect him to come out like that, batting with one hand, the other in the sweater, but good on him for showing that courage.’
England head coach Brendon McCullum was also full of praise for Woakes, who went out to bat despite being in ‘immense pain’.
‘I was surprised he ran the byes,’ McCullum said. ‘Good on Woakesy, he is in an immense amount of pain.
‘He was never in doubt that if needed he would walk down the stairs and try get us across the line.
‘We will asses him over the coming days get some more information and work out what the plan is from there.’
Discussing India’s series-drawing win more generally, Gill added: ‘It means so much.
‘This was a very hard-fought series. Both teams throwing punches and you could never really predict after day four who was going to win the match.
‘We are a young team but before the start of the series, we spoke about how we didn’t want to be looked at as a young team. We wanted to be a gun team and I think we showed that today.
‘Nothing beats Test cricket. It’s the most rewarding format. You work so hard over five days and even before the Test starts, there’s so many mental and physical challenges in this format.
‘Once you’re able to succeed, it’s the most satisfying and rewarding format.’
England began day five on 339-6, needed 35 more runs to win the Test and secure the series.
Jamie Overton hit the first two balls of the day for four but India then dismissed the Surrey seamer and Jamie Smith in the space of 14 balls to become favourites.
Josh Tongue was bowled for a 12-ball duck and England’s 10th-wicket partnership added ten – Atkinson hitting a six – before Siraj took the decisive wicket.
England had been in complete control of the chase on day four as Joe Root and Harry Brook both scored hundreds but India fought back superbly to draw the series.
England captain Ben Stokes, who missed the series decider through injury, said: ‘It’s been an incredible series, all five games going down to day five, so much has been put into this series from both teams.
‘The commitment and energy has been outstanding. Stood here now, we’re bitterly disappointed we couldn’t get the series win but myself being a massive advocate of the game of Test cricket, this series has been an unbelievable advert for it across the world.
‘All the doubters saying it’s dying a death, this series has said the opposite.
‘Credit both teams. The amount of effort from both teams to end up here 2-2 is incredible.
‘For us, to came out here to try and chase that total down in the way that we did was outstanding.
‘That never say die, never back down attitude we’ve installed in the group nearly paid off for us. We couldn’t quite get over the line.’
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