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'Plenty Of Cricket To Be Played' - Woakes Backs Ben Stokes & Co. Despite Crushing Loss In 3rd Test

image-lssfh53kEngland suffered two horrific collapses in Rajkot [X.com]

As India pulverised and completely dominated England towards a victory in the Rajkot Test to take a critical 2-1 lead, fans and experts backed the Rohit Sharma-led side to continue their resurgent run and stretch the advantage to a more decisive 4-1 scoreline by the close of the five-match Test series. 

England fast-bowler Chris Woakes, however, batted for skipper Ben Stokes and the rest of the touring contingent to comeback hard at Indians in the next two Tests in Ranchi and Dharamshala. 


Despite India suppressing the 'Bazball' threat since a game-transforming third morning in Rajkot and exposing England's softer belly, Woakes, who isn't part of the touring contingent, insisted Stokes' men would level-up in the next Test and might still win the series 3-2. 

Chris Woakes Backs England To Comeback 

"Still think this series will be won 3-2 by either team Plenty of cricket to be played," Woakes wrote in a tweet amidst flood of reactions on England's embarrassing 434-run defeat after collapsing to just 122 all out on the fourth evening inside 40 overs. 

After giving India a major scare on the back of extravagant opener Ben Duckett's first-innings 153, which took England to 204/2 by the close of play on Day 1 in response to hosts' imposing 445, it all went pear-shaped for the visitors as they suffered two horrendous batting collapses. 


Despite reaching 224 before the loss of their third wicket in the first-innings, England were out for 319 and gave away a major advantage for the Indians to rally with. Yashasvi Jaiswal's second double century of the series and Shubman Gill's brilliant 91 helped stretch the lead to an insurmountable 556. 

With the game well out of their reach on this occasion, England appeared in two minds at the crease: whether to go for the 'Bazball' tactics or grind their way through. As it transpired, they suffered their worst collapse of the tour after Ravindra Jadeja (5/41) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/19) ran riot.