“Hope we meet again”: Chris Woakes recalls warm message from India’s star batter

Injuries are an inherent part of cricket, but sometimes the stories surrounding them reveal the sport's more personal and human side. England all-rounder Chris Woakes recently opened up about the shoulder injury he suffered during the final Test of the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, and also shared a heartwarming exchange he had with India’s Rishabh Pant, someone who knows all too well what it means to come back from a serious setback.

Woakes injured his shoulder while diving to stop a boundary on Day 1 at The Oval. The pain was immediate, and as he later admitted, the thought that his career might be over did cross his mind. Despite the dislocated shoulder, he returned to bat on Day 5, arm in a makeshift sling, standing at the non-striker's end with no intention of facing a ball, just showing up for his team. 

One of those touched by Woakes' resilience was Rishabh Pant. The Indian wicketkeeper had once been in a similar position, coming back from a near-fatal car accident that kept him out of the game for over a year. Woakes recalled the exchange he had with Pant. “I saw Rishabh had put an image of me on Instagram with a salute emoji, so I replied thanking him: ‘Appreciate the love and hope the foot is OK,’ etc. He then sent me a voice note saying: ‘I hope all is OK, good luck with the recovery, and I hope we meet again out there some day.’ I obviously said sorry for the broken foot.” Woakes told The Guardian.

The comment about the foot refers to the delivery that Woakes bowled earlier in the series, which accidentally struck Pant. After which, the star Indian batter was ruled out of the series due to a fractured foot. This all took place during the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the newly named Test series between England and India, which ended 2-2 after five gripping matches. 

The final Test at The Oval saw India beat England by just six runs in a nail-biting finish. India skipper Shubman Gill was the standout performer of the series, scoring 754 runs at an average of 83.78, while Mohammed Siraj claimed a five-wicket haul in the decider with a final and unforgettable wicket of Gus Atkinson, which helped the team draw the series 2-2.