Chris Woakes has not played Test cricket since December 2016
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
England captain Joe Root has confirmed that all-rounder Chris Woakes will feature in the second Test against the West Indies at Headingley.
Woakes was called up to the Test side after recovering from a side strain he suffered in the opening game of the Champions Trophy in June.
However, while he missed out on the first Test at Edgbaston, which was the first day-night Test to be held in England, he will take pace bowler Toby Roland-Jones’ spot in the playing XI in the second Test.
In the three Tests he has played thus far, Roland-Jones has excelled with the ball as he has taken 14 wickets at an average of 19.35.
“Toby unfortunately misses out,” Root said. “He’s not done a lot wrong – he’s taken his opportunities, played some fantastic cricket and I see him being a massive part of our future, but it’s a great chance for Chris to come back and show his class.”
In the first Test, England annihilated the West Indies as they took 19 wickets on the third day to triumph by an innings and 209 runs.
However, Root is determined to see his side come out on top in the second Test as well, especially as they failed to do so in their recent Test series against South Africa.
Despite losing the second Test against the Proteas, England still went on to win the four-Test series 3-1.
“You look at occasions like that [the second South Africa Test] and want to make sure you put that right,” Root added. “The way we played in the last game and the two previous games – we’ve played some really strong cricket, and the more momentum we can build moving forward is really important for us.”
With the West Indies having copped a huge amount of criticism for their performance at Edgbaston, Root acknowledged that the men from the Caribbean will be looking to level the series at Headingley.
“There’s a lot of work to do,” he said. “They’ll be desperate to bounce back and will come hard.”
Root will be captaining England in a Test match on his home ground for the first time on Friday. When asked how he felt, the 26-year-old said: “Every chance I get to play for England at Headingley is a great opportunity, but to captain… I’m really looking forward to it.”