Down the selection queue and with an unremarkable Ashes record, Chris Woakes‘ return was meant to mean England was in danger – instead he has the hosts back in the contest, writes DANIEL CHERNY.
If ranking England’s seam-bowling threats heading into this series, you had much to consider.
Even without Jofra Archer, the man who flattened Steve Smith in 2019 before wreaking havoc at The Oval, there were plenty of others to talk about.
For starters there was Jimmy Anderson, with almost 700 Test wickets. You had Stuart Broad, perennial nemesis, troll and David Warner tormentor four years ago.
Ollie Robinson may not wow with his pace but he was averaging just over 21 with the ball in Test cricket. Mark Wood is the country’s fastest bowler and had been England’s standout in the 4-0 series loss in Australia 18 months ago.
And the newcomer Josh Tongue had in May picked up Smith’s wicket in county cricket.
Ben Stokes’ strength of will with bat or ball meant he had to be in the conversation even if his body was going to be a barrier.
Pretty much no one in Australia was talking about Chris Woakes. Forget the fifth Beatle, he was more like the sixth or seventh.
Woakes, 34, was old England. He hadn’t played a Test since the tour of the West Indies in March, 2022. That was pre-Bazball.
And Australians would be entirely forgiven for not thinking much of him, at least not with the red-ball. Heading into this series, Woakes’ bowling average in 12 Ashes Tests dating back to 2013 was 46.44. An all-rounder, he had never reached 50 in any of those matches either.
He had taken six wickets at more than 55 in the 2021-22 series. He had been tried and tried again and it very rarely worked for England when the urn was up for grabs. The thinking was that if Woakes was seen at any stage during these Ashes, the hosts would be in trouble.
That thinking was right because the emergency glass was only broken with England trailing 2-0, Anderson – rising 41 – having struggled on unhelpful pitches, and with the home team keen for added versatility given Stokes’ knee was failing him.
Understandably much of the attention after day one of this Test centred on comeback kids Wood (5-34) and Mitch Marsh (118 off as many balls). Mentioned considerably less was Woakes, who took 3-73 including Marsh, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, while also having Marsh put down on 12 by Joe Root at first slip.
Then, with the Test evenly poised and after almost a six-hour delay on Saturday, Woakes opened proceedings from the Football Ground End.
He sent down nine overs straight, mixed his lengths and benefited from some uneven bounce to take the important wickets of Marsh and Alex Carey – both cramped for space – adding to the scalp of Usman Khawaja late on day two.
The departure of Carey, who gloved an uncomfortable riser onto his wicket, brought up 100 Test wickets in the UK for Woakes, at an average of less than 23. Of those to have reached 100 Test wickets on these shores, Woakes’ average is better than all but Jim Laker, Tony Lock, Fred Trueman, Alec Bedser, and Shane Warne.
It is a Jekyll and Hyde tale because in away Tests he averages 51.88. But whether through desperation or inspiration, England’s selectors called on him with the series slipping away.
“It’s good to have the backing and feel backed by the captain and the coach,” Woakes said.
“But then also, I suppose feeling that little bit of pressure that you’re in a must-win Ashes game with not much cricket behind me and having to come in and perform. But when you get early wickets, I got that wicket of Marnus, it does kind of settle the nerves a little bit.”
Woakes is never going to be an Ashes great, but if England can eke out a win here, he will be significantly responsible.