Chris Woakes reckons England have the momentum to take the Ashes 3-2 with the Australian's falling at the last.
Despite leading the series 2-0 after two tight victories, Woakes reckons the hardest part still lies ahead of the Aussies who could almost touch the Ashes in Leeds. And just like Devon Loch in the 1956 Grand National, England are now within striking distance should they suffer another mishap.
Woakes did more than most to help rescue the series with six wickets in the match and a crucial 32 not out on the fourth day, hitting the winning runs to boot. But the 34-year-old knows that England will need to find more of the same quality to get on top in Manchester next week to deny the tightening World Champions.
“It’s always been there in that dressing room, the belief is we can win 3-2,” said Woakes. “I’d imagine when you’re so close to getting something, the harder it gets, and I’m sure the Aussies will be feeling that now.
“Once you get so close to something, it’s actually hard to get that over the line, isn’t it? We’ve got to turn up in Manchester and put in another performance. They’re a bloody good side, they’re an extremely good side.
“We’re going to have to be at our best to beat them again, but the belief is there.” And Woakes is hopeful that he can be just as involved at Old Trafford as he was at Headingley where he had a full house to see his wizardry in action rather than an empty stadium.
It was at Old Trafford where Woakes enjoyed one of his best days in an England Test shirt back in 2020 when he scored 84 not out to see his team to another nail-biting three wicket win over Pakistan. Only it was during the Covid pandemic so no-one was there to see it beyond his team-mates, opponents, ground staff and a handful of media.
And after being snubbed for a game against Ireland at the start of this summer in place of Josh Tongue, Woakes thought he would never get the chance to enjoy a feeling like that again. But he is nothing if not an enduring competitor, and when the call finally came, he was ready for action, and surely deserves the chance to repeat the dose next week.
‘It’s quite emotional actually,” he added. “You sometimes think the ship has sailed, of course you do. Especially when the team was going so well last summer and I wasn’t involved, obviously I had injuries and stuff.
“You do wonder whether that ship has sailed. But I made a big decision at the start of summer not to go to India (for the IPL) and, you know, it’s days like this that make that sort of decision pay off, comfortably.
“It literally doesn’t get any better than that, I don’t think. The feeling of that roar, the Western Terrace going mad. It’s pretty cool, an amazing feeling. It’s just special. If you could bottle that up forever and come back to it, you would.
“The only thing better would be to do it in front of the Hollies stand at Edgbaston. Sometimes you don’t always get the rewards that you deserve, but I felt like I played well in this game and got the rewards I deserve.”
