England's Woakes in the wickets against India A as Rahul hits a hundred / Photo: Marty MELVILLE - AFP
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England's Woakes in the wickets against India A as Rahul hits a hundred
England's Chris Woakes took three top-order India A wickets in Northampton on Friday to bolster his case for a Test recall later this month.
Woakes has been included in England’s squad to face India at Headingley in the first of a five-Test series starting on June 20, after missing the recent innings win over Zimbabwe and much of the early county season with an ankle injury.
The 36-year-old seamer produced a fine opening spell of 2-8 in six overs on the first day of the second-string England Lions' second unofficial Test against India A at Wantage Road, including having rising star Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw for 17.
Jaiswal, player of the series when England lost 4-1 in India last year, is set open open the batting for the tourists in Leeds.
Woakes also had India A captain Abhimanyu Easwaran leg-before in his first burst before removing Karun Nair later on to finish the first day of four with 3-50 from 17 overs.
But experienced batsman KL Rahul, included in India's Test squad for the Test series, made 116, with his century coming off 151 balls, as India reached stumps on 319-7.
Woakes, speaking after the close, said: "It's been a frustrating start to the season. It would have been nice to have played a few more games, but the ankle wasn't really playing ball, so I had to give it a bit longer."
The all-rounder added: "I'm one that needs time and days in the field to feel fully prepared from a body perspective as well as a bowling perspective.
"It was a good day, a good run out. It's always good to come up against strong opposition when you know you're going into a Test series which is going to be hard fought."
S.Elsayed--CdE
