WATCH | England's valiant stand in defeat: Woakes braves injury to bat at No. 11 at The Oval

London: England all-rounder Chris Woakes came out to bat in the final moments of the fifth Test against India at The Oval despite suffering a dislocated left shoulder. Woakes sustained the injury on the first day of the match while making a diving effort to stop a boundary, after which he spent the subsequent days with his arm in a sling and did not bat in the first innings. Teammate Joe Root confirmed that Woakes was prepared to do whatever was required for the team, including batting left-handed if needed to protect his injury.

As England’s last recognised player, Woakes entered at No. 11 on Day 5 after Prasidh Krishna dismissed Josh Tongue. England needed only a handful of runs to win with just one wicket in hand, and Woakes batted using only his right hand, keeping his injured left arm immobilised inside his jumper. The packed Oval crowd gave him a standing ovation for his resolve.

During the last-wicket partnership, Woakes did not face any balls but supported Gus Atkinson by running between the wickets despite evident pain. This partnership lasted 13 balls and brought England within a whisker of victory before Mohammed Siraj bowled Atkinson with a yorker to finish the match and the series.