IND vs ENG: Chris Woakes on injury replacements in Tests – ‘You lose a participant, you find a method’ | Cricket News

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 04: Chris Woakes of England greets Mohammed Siraj of India after the top of the match on day 5 of the fifth Rothesay Test Match at The Kia Oval on August 04, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

England seamer Chris Woakes, at the moment nursing a shoulder injury, has backed his captain Ben Stokes‘ stance in the continuing debate over “injury substitutions” in Test cricket.

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant had retired harm on the primary day of the drawn fourth Test in Manchester however returned to bat the following day, regardless of scans confirming a fracture in his proper foot.India head coach Gautam Gambhir subsequently advocated for the introduction of injury replacements in Tests—a suggestion Stokes had dismissed as “absolutely ridiculous.”Interestingly, in the fifth Test at The Oval, England discovered themselves in a related state of affairs when Woakes suffered a fractured shoulder. Despite the injury, he got here out to bat on the ultimate day with England 9 wickets down and needing fewer than 20 runs to win.“I’m with Stokesy, to be honest,” Woakes informed The Guardian.“Having played for 18 years, the game is what it is—you lose a player, and as a team, you have to find a way. It makes you more resilient and the team stronger.”“I understand why people might feel it’s necessary in cases of freak injuries like mine, but there would be too many grey areas and loopholes.”

Woakes’ gritty decision to bat despite his injury has earned him widespread respect.“I mean, it’s not the way you want to make the front page—you’d rather it be for five wickets or a century. There have been a lot of ups and downs since, but yeah, the love from the public has helped,” he said.“It’s so strange to go from starting a Test week thinking, ‘One last push,’ to ending up on a physio’s table wondering what the future holds.”