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Chris Woakes' Test match return is likely to spur a fast bowling unit of England that in the absence of Stuart Broad and James Anderson, redoubtable icons of the game, looks bleak, if not utterly soulless. Surely, at some stage, the likes of Jofra Archer, who's still not a hundred percent fit yet, will further boost the side and the team still has the presence of a great fast bowling talent in the form of Mark Wood.
But with Chris Woakes marking a return, it could be said, England, who definitely start as favourites, will sport a slightly stronger look- won't they? With no fewer than 181 wickets to his name from 57 games, Woakes has been brilliant and a comprehensive match-winner who actually is also in touching distance of a batting milestone.
The experienced 36-year-old just needs to add a further 30 more runs to his account to become 2000 run scorer in test cricket for England. But speaking of batting, there's also a worthy opponent that Woakes will come to encounter.
He is someone whose obvious batting talent and courage makes him stand in a league of his own. And that bloke is a certain Rishabh Pant.
Speaking of the two, just how have the two diverse and contrasting cricketing personalities levelled up when confronting each other in Test match cricket?
Rishabh Pant vs Chris Woakes
For starters, Rishabh Pant would want to play cautiously against the experienced and seasoned campaigner that is Woakes for the simple reason that the latter has already collected 23 Indian test wickets from the 9 contests he's played against the sub-continental side.
In that, however, Pant and Woakes came against each other in two seperate Test series encounters, one series being in 2018 and the other in 2021.
Rather surprisingly, the two haven't come to face each other on that level of frequency on the 22 yards as say how a Pujara has faced Broad or Anderson bowling to Virat.
That said, while in 2018, all that Chris Woakes bowled at Rishabh Pant were 2 deliveries, from which the left hander scored 1 run, three years later, in 2021, Woakes and Pant had a longer battle, if one could put it like that.
A total of 6.3 overs were delivered by the beaming right arm fast medium to India's carefree and daring batter, from which Pant scored 13 odd runs.
At The Oval, in London, circa 2021, Woakes got the hang of Pant, but that was not before the blazing batter making 13 of 7 delivers from the right arm seamer. 32 of those deliveries in Woakes's spell were dot balls.
Pant can apply the watchful route and play Woakes as per the match situation, should he want to tread carefully. With wickets in hand and India batting deep, should Shardul Thakur play in the eleven, the team can then take their chances. But what must also be considered is that attacking blindingly will lead to a pitiable surrender in the middle. And in
