MOHALI: Going into the third Test here after their loss in the previous tie, England bowlers are wary of Indian skipper Virat Kohli’s form and have come up with plans to get him out early knowing well that he tends to get a big score once he is well set.
India scripted a resounding 246-run win over England in the second Test to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
While skipper Virat Kohli’s aggregate of 248 runs (167 and 81) laid the cornerstone of victory, the contribution of India’s premier all-rounder Ashwin (52 runs and match figures of 8/119) was equally significant.
Speaking about Kohli’s performance in the previous Test, Woakes said, “Kohli scored lot of those runs, Pujara has also scored. Kohli has scored majority of runs, particularly in that second Test match. So, we are going to have plans to him to try and stop him scoring… Once he gets in, it’s hard to get him out.”
Despite the humiliating loss, Woakes felt that all was not lost and England have a good chance to bounce back.
“I feel that the teams are fairly evenly matched,” he said, at the same time acknowledging that India were playing in their home conditions.
To another question, he said, “Although we have lost that last Test match, we felt that we have played some good cricket on this tour barring a session maybe”.
While pointing out that toss will play a role, he also said, “We obviously do have to win here to make sure we can win the series… everyone is in good spirits (on team morale after previous loss).”
About his own form after being rested in the previous tie, he said he was “fit and raring to go”.
When asked that bowlers always have niggles and if he felt disappointed to miss you given the way he bowled in the first game, Woakes said, “Yeah, I suppose you always want to play, you don’t want to miss any Test match, particularly when you feel you are in decent form and decent nick. Yeah, I suppose its one of those things which happens…”
On missing the services of their fast bowling spearhead Stuart Broad, Woakes said, “Obviously, it will be a huge loss if Stuart doesn’t play…he is a world class bowler, he has been there for a long period of time. He has showed how good he is in one spell he bowled, I think it was one of the morning sessions, the last Test match.”
When asked if he feels Mohali, traditionally known to favour fast bowlers, is the venue where England can boost their seam attack given, Woakes replied, saying, “potentially, may be…as you mentioned there has been history here that potentially might help the seamers a little bit better but then same time last year’s Test match it was just the opposite.”
Woakes fielded a volley of questions surrounding ongoing “Sweet-Gate” in context to what happened with the South African team in Australia and also in the ongoing series in India.
He said he feels there were “grey areas” which need to be clarified.