ENG vs IND, 5th Test: Chris Woakes Walks Off with Shoulder Injury, Major Concern for England (WATCH)

England pacer Chris Woakes suffered a suspected shoulder dislocation while fielding in the 5th Test vs India at The Oval. The injury, sustained while diving to save a boundary, adds to England’s woes with skipper Ben Stokes already ruled out.

The England cricket team has been hit with an injury scare after Chris Woakes sustained a shoulder dislocation on Day 1 of the ongoing fifth and final Test of the series at the Oval in London on Thursday, July 31.

England opted to bowl first after stand-in skipper Ollie Pope won the toss. The first two sessions of the opening day of the series decider were interrupted by rain, but England's bowlers made good use of the overcast conditions, reducing the visitors to 85/3. After a long Tea break, England put India under immense pressure by further reducing it to 153/6 in 49.3 overs.

However, Team India revived their batting through a crucial unbeaten 51-run stand for the seventh wicket between Karun Nair (52) and Washington Sundar (19) as the visitors finished Day 1 with a total of 204/6 in 64 overs, despite a long interruption by rain in London.

Injury concern for Chris Woakes

Amid the crucial Test of the ongoing series, England suffered a major setback as Chris Woakes left the field seemingly with a severe injury on his left shoulder. The incident took place in the 57th over of India’s first innings batting when Karun drove the ball down the ground off Jamie Overton’s delivery, and Chris Woakes ran from mid-off to save the ball from the boundary.

As Woakes dived in to save the runs for his side, the England pacer laid outside the boundary by holding his shoulder and looked in all sorts of discomfort. The physios were immediately called in for medical attention, but Woakes seems to be in severe pain in his left shoulder.

The England pacer walked off the field with the team physio by slinging his injured shoulder with a sweater as Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum watched in agony, in what looked like a big blow.

This is the second injury scare for England in the ongoing Test series against India. Skipper Ben Stokes suffered a tear in his shoulder muscle sustained in the final of the Manchester Test and was ruled out of the Oval decider, as team management did not want to risk him with an injured shoulder.

Uncertainty over Woakes’s further participation in Oval Decider

Considering the extent of discomfort shown by Chris Woakes with his injured shoulder, possibly a dislocation, there is uncertainty over his further participation in the ongoing Oval decider. The England Cricket Board is expected to issue an official statement on the pacer’s injury.

Woakes has played all five Tests of the ongoing series and has picked 11 wickets, including a wicket of KL Rahul in the ongoing Oval decider. With Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes not in the playing XI, Woakes has been shouldered with the responsibility to lead the pace attack, which includes Josh Tongue and Gus Aktinson.

If Chris Woakes is unable to participate further in the Oval decider, it will be a big blow for England, who are aiming to win the series. It remains to be seen whether England will be forced to operate with a three-pronged pace attack for the remainder of the match or turn more to Joe Root’s part-time spin if Woakes does not recover in time before Day 2.