Chris Woakes makes a disappointing start as England’s attack leader

Chris Woakes’ entire Test career has been building up to this Test match. After 11 years of providing superb support to England’s two best Test wicket-takers, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, Woakes finally got his chance to lead the attack. Fittingly, that moment came in his 50th Test match.

“They embody all the best parts of this team,” said Joe Root as he presented Woakes with a commemorative cap. Since his Test debut in 2013, Woakes has combined selflessness, reliability and tremendous skill. As a new bowler for Warwickshire, he has adapted without complaint to being England’s first reserve. After initially being considered too slow for Test cricket, Woakes worked tirelessly to gain a bit more pace. Quietly, he has set an extraordinary record in home Tests, averaging 33.1 with the bat and just 22.4 with the ball – less than Anderson or Broad.

Even though Woakes took centre stage, he was easily overlooked. Woakes was named Player of the Series at the recent Ashes after taking 19 wickets in three Tests, and the euphoric final afternoon at the Oval became an exhilarating celebration of Broad’s career.

England’s focus on the 2025/26 Ashes was the reason for the decision to retire James Anderson. This has caused some confusion about why Woakes has retained his place. He is already 35. And the concerns about Anderson’s effectiveness Down Under apply at least as much to Woakes: he averages 51.9 in 20 away Tests and has not played abroad since March 2022. When he was left out of the tour of India despite his outstanding Ashes last year, it seemed to be an acknowledgement that England view Woakes as a home specialist.

In Anderson’s farewell Test at Lord’s, Woakes fell far short of his standards in Broad’s final Test last year. Although West Indies were thrashed, Woakes managed just 1-40 from 18 overs in the entire match. Not only did he trail Anderson in wickets; Woakes was also recorded as a slower bowler by the speed guns.

There have been significant reliefs. Woakes has suffered a personal tragedy when he lost his father earlier this summer. He has generally needed a number of overs to get back to his best; after four months without playing, Woakes played just two first-class matches in preparation for the opening Test. Woakes’ batting also gives the side balance; his 37 from number eight on day one could yet make a decisive contribution.

Although Woakes’s mastery of the home climate kept him in the team, the second day in Nottingham offered conditions that were as untypical as they get for English Test cricket: a cocktail of a flat wicket and scorching summer heat.

At least Anderson’s retirement gave Woakes a new luxury: choice of sides. But having opted to open from the Ratcliffe Road End, Woakes struggled to make up for the lack of support from above; according to CricViz, England were getting the fewest new balls at home in a decade.

Paradoxically, Woakes’ promotion might even have undone him: Dukes balls tend to swing more after about 12 overs than when they are brand new, as Ben Stokes said this week. As the first change, Woakes enjoyed this advantage; when he opened the bowling, he was burdened with a ball that barely deviated from straight.

Woakes could be accused of being less accurate than last summer, however. He dropped his ball too short and too wide to be smashed through the covers by Kraigg Brathwaite in his fourth over, and later corrected too far to be driven across the ground. Perhaps most worryingly, his pace remained low: Woakes’ last two Tests were the two slowest of his career.

Such a relative lack of pace meant that Woakes’ tactics with the old ball were the opposite of those of Gus Atkinson and Mark Wood. While Atkinson and Wood opted for short pitches and fields with more than a hint of bodyline, Woakes stuck to his polished approach: hammering at a good length and trying to move the ball in the air and away from the seam.

After England changed the ball for the second time, Woakes finally got a little more help. In a seven-over play starting in the 67th over, Woakes produced by far his most impressive play of the summer. He hit the ball both inside and outside, and it was remarkable: Jason Holder was lucky to have an inside edge save him from a ball that circled back to his stumps. Knowing that Woakes was moving the ball both ways made it much riskier to leave him alone. Woakes created a new geometric challenge by varying his release point from ball to ball to create a different angle for the batsmen.

In his 16th over of the day, Woakes enjoyed his late reward. Woakes hit the ball back to Kavem Hodge, his delivery bounced past the bat and slammed into the front pad plate. The batsman’s review confirmed the decision for LBW.

That difficult day showed why England held on to Woakes: a time that suited his new-found status in attack. It came at the right time for both England and him. As much as Woakes is keen to take the new ball in Australia in 16 months’ time, his immediate challenge is simply to show he can still be England’s man now.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.