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A thorough gentleman. A committed cricketer who loves to uphold England's position in Test cricket. A cricketer who applies- and handily so- the twin talents of batting and bowling in making a contribution to his team's victory, Chris Woakes is making a comeback to Test cricket.
And at a time where his mighty English team will face what could be a stern challenge against the touring Indians, someone like Woakes would like to stand defiantly in the way of a possible Indian assualt against England.
But having said that, just how good a performer has the experienced Christopher Roger Woakes been against India where it comes to test match cricket? Let us find out:
Chris Woakes' Test records vs India
For starters, Chris Woakes has played 57 games in the sport's longest format, of which 9 have been contested against India. That doing simple schoolboy math means, a little over sixth of his career games have come against India in Cricket's mightiest format.
Now out of these, Woakes has batted on 13 occasions, scoring at a respectable average of 32, 320 Test match runs. What's important especially from an England team perspective here is to dwell into the life of Chris Woakes, the Test bat against India.
So the highest score of 137, a commanding inning in which Chris Woakes emerged unbeaten in the end, came off just 177 odd deliveries. The significance of the century extended beyond the fact that it led to the right hander's highest individual test score. But the fact that the batting effort came at the spiritual home of cricket itself: Lord's.
The kind of knock that will keep England's hopes in good stead in expecting another promising score from one of their most committed names in Test cricket. And thus far, the 137 remains the only ton that Woakes has struck thus far in his career.
On the whole, Chris Woakes the Test bowler, has claimed 23 Test wickets from 17 bowling outings. It is not an incredible stat or something too exasperating as a feat to note.
But given Woakes is often the first-change bowler, if not the other new ball opening bowler, supporting the likes, as he will, on this occasion to Brydon Carsen and company, his isn't a ordinary record as well. His best bowling figures against India came at the 2021 Test at the Kennington Oval, wherein he took 4 for 55 against a team that had celebrated batters such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Though, this time around, the thinking cricketer will like to level up his game against a new-looking Indian team that will combat the English with its exceptionally skiled youth, including Jaiswal, Gill and Sudharsan.
