Experienced pace bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes is aiming to recover from a shoulder injury sustained during the Oval Test against India before England’s upcoming tour of Australia.
Instead of opting for surgery, Woakes hopes to heal temporarily through rehabilitation alone. However, he is fully aware of the risk that the injury could flare up again. Still, driven by his determination to play in the prestigious Ashes series, the seasoned English all-rounder is ready to take that risk and board the plane to Australia.
Woakes injured his left shoulder on the first day of fielding during the final Test against India at the Oval. In severe pain, he wrapped his arm in a sweater sling and left the field. He was unable to bowl or even bat in England’s first innings.
Despite being ruled out initially, Woakes came out to bat in the second innings due to the team’s urgent needs, though he faced no deliveries. England lost the match by six runs when last man Gus Atkinson was bowled by Mohammad Siraj, ending the thrilling Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy with a 2-2 draw.
Now 36, Woakes is awaiting the results of his shoulder scan. Speaking to BBC Sport, he said he would prefer to avoid surgery and recover through rehab if possible before the Australia tour.
“I’m waiting to find out how serious the injury is. But the options are surgery or rehab and trying to recover as much as possible. Obviously, rehab carries the risk of re-injury, but I think it’s a risk worth taking.”
“What I’ve heard from physios and specialists is that surgery recovery would take around three to four months, which would overlap with the Ashes and Australia tour period… Whereas rehab might allow me to recover in about eight weeks. So it’s an option, but I’m still waiting on the full report.”
The Ashes series starts on November 21 in Perth.
