IND vs ENG: Chris Woakes loving life as leader of England pace pack

Ahead of England’s opening Test against India in Leeds, the home bowling lineup was under the microscope. Both Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes hadn’t bowled much in the lead-up, and Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse were inexperienced.

But over the course of the match, Woakes’ body held up for 43 overs and Stokes’ for 35, and Tongue and Carse scalped a combined 11 wickets. Jofra Archer’s return to Test-match fitness just made everything sweeter.

ALSO READ | More clues, more suspense as India gears up for Birmingham challenge

“It was a huge week for us, obviously better for myself,” said Woakes, whose home ground is Edgbaston here. “I felt I could have bowled better in the second innings, but the body felt good.”

Woakes, a 36-year-old veteran of 58 Test matches, stated that he was enjoying the role of being the lead pacer.

“I’ve played a lot of my England games with Jimmy (James Anderson) and Broadie (Stuart Broad). It is different not having them around. But it’s also a great opportunity for myself and it’s good to pass on a little bit of knowledge to the younger guys who haven’t played as much Test cricket. And I am also learning from them.”

One of the biggest pluses from the series starter was Stokes’ persistence and tenacity on the field.

“He doesn’t do things in half measures,” Woakes said of his captain. “When he’s training, he’s training. When he has time off, he has time off.

“When he’s doing his work, it’s a real pleasure to watch. Obviously, with the injuries that he’s had, he’s probably just doubled down on his fitness to make sure he’s in the best shape possible to lead this team at his best.

“And he certainly did that last week and hopefully there’s more of that. His relentlessness and energy on the ball were as good as I’ve seen for a long time.”