'His 75 Was The Difference': Chris Woakes on Harry Brook's Phenomenal Batting Display
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Harry Brook scored a terrific 75 on the fourth day [AP Photo]
England, on Sunday, July 9th, beat Australia by three wickets in the third Test at Headingley to keep the Ashes alive. Chris Woakes hit the winning runs for the Three Lions on the final day of the game.
Amidst a batting collapse on the Day 5, Woakes displayed remarkable resilience, joining hand with Harry Brook and forged a match-winning 59-run partnership to stabilize England's run chase.
The young batting sensation from England played a huge role in the hosts’ win at Leeds as he stood firm amid collapse and scored 75 runs from 93 balls, with the help of nine boundaries.
Woakes showered praise on Brook, stating that he is a man with a calm head and it was a perfect match and conditions for him to make a comeback in the Test side.
Here’s what Chris Woakes told BBC's Test Match Special:
“What you see is what you get with Harry, not much, he's just laughing and joking around. It's his way of staying clear, he's a very good player, he's got a calm head on his shoulders. His 75 was the difference, I wish he was there at the end.”
England, walking on their much-hyped bazball approach couldn’t find success in the first two Tests of the ongoing five-match Test series as they lost the series opener by two wickets, followed by a 43-run bashing in the Lord’s Test.
Weighing in on the same, Woakes conceded:
"What an amazing game to be a part of. Watching the first two Tests from the sidelines, we didn't want to be 2-0 down but that's how we found ourselves.”
"We wanted to put in a good performance, it was up and down, but to be 2-1 going into Old Trafford and still in the series is a great place to be.”
‘It was tricky - Woakes on making a comeback at Headingley
Notably, Chris Woakes was not part of the England team in the first two test matches and only made his comeback in the third Test when James Anderson was dropped from the side. Commenting on this, Woakes said that he was happy with his outing at Leeds.
"It was tricky actually, coming up the hill at Headingley I don't particularly enjoy it. I don't normally get my rhythm but I got it quickly. The early wicket of Marnus settled me down, always good to get a big scalp like that.”
In addition to his batting contributions, Chris Woakes made a significant impact with his bowling as well. The seamer quickly made his presence felt by claiming a three-wicket haul in the first innings and followed it up with another three-wicket haul in the second innings.
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