Inside England Ashes pair’s incredible bromance, including holding hands on flights and buying each other gifts
CHRIS WOAKES is calm and understated and not the type of character prone to hyperbole.
But even he admits that his emotions were raging as he put the finishing touches to England’s victory in the Third Test.
In a Bazball era where the likes of Stokes, Broad, Root and Bairstow normally seize the limelight, Woakes emerged from their shadows for his moment in the sun.
Woakes took six wickets at Headingley and then hit the winning boundary in his first appearance under the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum axis.
The Warwickshire all-rounder admitted: “It literally doesn’t get any better than that. The feeling of that roar, the Western Terrace going mad, was amazing.
“Personally, in my biased opinion, it would have been better if I was doing it in front of the Hollies Stand at Edgbaston! It’s pretty special, it’s pretty cool. Amazing feeling.
“I think you don’t hear the crowd as much out there as you do when you’re on the sidelines. But it’s just special. If you could bottle up that forever and come back to it, you would.”
Woakes’ previous Test appearance was on England’s disastrous tour of the Caribbean in March 2022 – their last games before Stokes and McCullum took over – and he wondered if his red-ball career was done.
He added: “It’s quite emotional, actually. You sometimes think the ship has sailed, of course you do, especially when the team was going so well last summer and I wasn’t involved.
“I had injuries and stuff and you wonder. But I made a big decision not to go to the IPL this year and it’s days like Sunday that make that sort of decision pay off.
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“The belief in the dressing-room is that we can win the series 3-2. You don’t want to look too far ahead, you have to play what’s in front of you, each ball, each day, each session, each Test match.
“I’d imagine that, when you’re so close to getting something, it gets harder and I’m sure the Aussies will be feeling that now. It’s hard to get over that line, isn’t it? We’ve got to turn up in Manchester and put in another good performance next week.
“Australia are a bloody good side. We’re going to have to be at our best to beat them again.”
One of the few flashy things about Woakes is his nickname of ‘Wizard,’ which suggests he has magical powers. And he did at Headingley.
He serves another role on tour when he provides support and comfort for his close friend Mark Wood on flights.
The alphabetical order seating arrangement of England’s squad means Woakes and Wood are usually together.
Wood is a nervous flyer and Woakes often holds his hand during take-off, landing and turbulence.
They swap sweet gifts, too. Woakes brings boxes of Ferrero Rocher for his mate while Wood packs chocolate digestive biscuits for Woakes. These are offered during low periods or if one of them is missing home.
So Woakes is a good guy – but that doesn’t stop the Aussies bombarding him with bouncers. They reckon he is vulnerable to the short ball.
Woakes said: “Regardless of how well you play them, no one likes facing bouncers for long periods. I knew I was going to get it, we all know we’re going to get it – but it’s how you deal with it, how you play it.
“I just tried to figure out a way to get to the other end and rotate the strike with Harry Brook and thankfully I managed to do that.
“Sometimes, you don’t always get the rewards you deserve, but I felt like I played well at Headingley and got the rewards.”