Chris Woakes has admitted he faces an uphill battle to repeat his dream of playing Ashes cricket at his beloved Edgbaston this summer.
The 34-year-old is unlikely to get another chance to take on the Aussies on his home turf which is why he is straining every sinew for Warwickshire to make it this time after a year out of the Test side.
But even though he has stayed at home to prove his worth in County Championship cricket rather than head to the IPL, he reckons the competition for places is even stiffer than the last time in 2019 when he was at the peak of his powers.
