Chris Woakes is one of the first names on the England teamsheet… Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson should watch their backs
Greame Swann: Bowling hero has been a revelation this summer and his form is putting stars under pressure
CHRIS WOAKES has been a revelation this summer and gone from being a fringe player to one of the first names on the England teamsheet.
He has scored 116 runs and snared 18 wickets in just two Test matches against Pakistan.
Incredibly, he has taken a wicket in the first over of a spell four times in the series.
That’s not just luck or having a golden arm.
In my career, I took a wicket in my first over almost 30 times. I specifically tried to get a wicket by spinning the ball as hard as I could, rather than just settling into a spell.
I reasoned that I was fresh and the batsman wasn’t used to my bowling.
There was no better time to go hard for a wicket. By the end, batsmen expected it which put pressure on them and helped me.
Chris is the same — he goes hard at batsmen from the very first ball of a spell.
His self-belief has surged and he will put Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad under pressure. Suddenly, they are not unrivalled as England’s two most dangerous bowlers.
Woakes’ batting and bowling are now feeding off each other — the more wickets he takes, the more runs he is scoring.
And vice-versa. Confidence is a wonderful thing.