England v India: Chris Woakes maiden Test century puts Three Lions in control at Lord’s

England v India: Chris Woakes

England v India: Chris Woakes is currently 120 not out (Image: REUTERS)

He demolished India in the Second Test on Saturday at Lord’s to score a maiden Test century, fittingly at the home of cricket.

The majestic knock from Woakes inspired England to take complete command of the match – and gave him the rare privilege of a place on both the bowling and batting honours boards.

He also won an emotional standing ovation from the crowd and his team-mates on the dressing room balcony.

They know the unassuming, mild-mannered 29-year-old is one of the true nice guys of sport. Woakes was only called up for this game because Ben Stokes was absent, standing trial on a charge of affray at Bristol Crown Court in a court case expected to finish in midweek What a replacement he has been – with bat and ball.

On Friday he captured the crucial wicket of India captain Virat Kohli in a sublime spell of swing bowling.

On Saturday he pulverised the visitors with an innings of 120 not out that gave him a place in history and left England on 357-6 at the close, with a formidable lead already of 250 runs.

Only six other Englishmen in history have achieved the distinction of being on both honours boards – Gubby Allen, Ray Illingworth, Ian Botham, Freddie Flintoff, Stuart Broad and Stokes himself. Woakes now belongs in their company after this special day.

He had arrived at the crease with England wobbling at 131-5 just after lunch in reply to India’s meagre first innings total of 107. Another wicket then and the match would have been up for grabs.

Instead, the class and calm control of Woakes totally transformed the game as he fl ourished in a superb partnership of 189 for the sixth wicket with Jonny Bairstow.

Batting conditions were very far from being a picnic. Ball was fizzing past the bat with regularity and five of England’s skittish top six failed to get past 30.

A little fortune was required; edges to fl ash past the stumps or through the slips. But Woakes and Bairstow earned whatever luck carried them on their merry way.

England v India: Virat Kohli

England v India: Chris Woakes captured the crucial wicket of India captain Virat Kohli on Friday (Image: REUTERS)

They also began to pepper the boundary with delicious drives and pulls as India’s trio of fast bowlers began to tire in the afternoon and the visiting spinners failed to provide any bewitching torment.

Woakes motored swiftly after the tea interval, going past his previous best Test score of 66, also made at Lord’s, and apparently nerveless in the 90s.

The century was reached with a lofted drive into the leg-side and celebrated with a huge swish of his bat and the widest smile you will see from a cricketer in a long time.

Bairstow just failed to register his own hundred, caught behind on 93 off the bowling of Hardik Pandya and to emulate his century at Lord’s two summers ago.

Some players are simply inspired by playing at the home of cricket, and Woakes is one of them.

In fact, his stats here are without equal. His bowling average at Lord’s is under 10; his batting average above 100. They are incredible numbers.

Bairstow’s departure brought in another promising all-rounder, Sam Curran, and he instantly bashed India’s left-arm leg-spin bowler Kuldeep Yadav out of the action with some powerful shots to the rope.

England v India: Ollie Pope

England v India: Ollie Pope Made his Test debut and he looked a natural at this level (Image: PA)

Yes, it seems England will be able to cope for however long Stokes may be unavailable for selection.

Curran finished the day 22 not out. Earlier in the day we had seen Curran’s fellow Surrey 20-year-old Ollie Pope make his Test debut, and he looked a natural at this level, clipping his second ball faced to the boundary with some ease. Pope scored a polished 28 before being trapped plumb lbw by a good inswinger from Pandya.

The more senior batsmen fl attered to deceive – Alastair Cook was caught behind for 21 and captain Joe Root fell leg before to Mohammad Shami for just 19.

Jos Buttler, who made a curiously quick-fire 24 after lunch, was another lbw victim for the willing and wily Shami.

England will have power to add more runs to their lead this morning, and although some rain is forecast for Sunday and Monday, there ought to be enough time to bowl out India for a second time and take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

England v India: Jonny Bairstow

England v India: Jonny Bairstow played his part, hitting 93 not out (Image: REUTERS)

TEST SCOREBOARD – Second Test Match England v India (Day 3 of 5)

LORD’S: England lead India by 250 runs with four fi rst-innings wickets in hand

INDIA: First Innings 107 (Anderson 5-20)

ENGLAND: First Inns

A Cook c Karthik b Sharma …………………………….21

K Jennings lbw Shami ……………………………………11

J Root lbw Shami …………………………………………..19

O Pope lbw Pandya ……………………………………….28

J Bairstow c Karthik b Pandya …………………………93

J Buttler lbw Shami ………………………………………..24

C Woakes not out ………………………………………..120

S Curran not out ……………………………………………22

B6 lb11 w1 nb1 ………………………………………..19

Total (6 wkts., 81 overs) ……………………….357

Fall: 28, 32, 77, 89, 131, 330.

Bowling: Sharma 19-3-88-1, Shami 19-4-74-3, Yadav 9-1-44-0, Pandya 17-0-66-2, Ashwin 17-1- 68-0. Umpires: M Erasmus & A Dar.