England's Chris Woakes has expressed his frustration with the umpire's call during the second Test against India at Edgbaston. The experienced seamer felt that several close decisions didn't go his way on the first day of the match, impacting England's potential to put India under greater pressure.
Woakes, who finished the day with figures of 2 for 59, removed key Indian batsmen, including KL Rahul and Nitish Kumar Reddy. However, he was visibly frustrated when two LBW appeals, one against Yashasvi Jaiswal and another against Karun Nair, were turned down due to the umpire's call. Ball-tracking showed that the deliveries were only clipping the top of the off-stump, leading to the original not-out decisions being upheld. Jaiswal went on to score 87, while Nair contributed 31, both innings proving valuable for India.
"Well, yes, it's really frustrating," Woakes said after the day's play. "These are decisions which can go your way, but this is the game we play and we move on". He acknowledged the role of luck in cricket, stating, "They're decisions which can obviously go your way or not. That's the game we play". Despite his disappointment, Woakes remained optimistic about England's chances in the Test. "It's still a good pitch. There's enough in it if you hit the right areas. We've got wickets at regular intervals. If we can break this stand early tomorrow, we're still in the game," he said.
Woakes also offered praise for Shubman Gill, who scored a century for India. "It was a great hundred. He did really well for his team. He managed to absorb pressure and then capitalise," Woakes added. Gill's innings helped India to a strong position of 310 for 5 at the end of the first day.
Woakes suggested a change to the DRS rule, specifically concerning instances when a batter offers no shot. He believes that if a batter shoulders arms and the ball is shown to be hitting the stumps, the decision should be out, regardless of how much of the ball is impacting the stumps. "In general, DRS has been good for the game. A lot more right decisions are given [than before]. The only thing I would like to come in is that if a batsman decides to leave the ball and it's still hitting the stumps, I think that should be out - regardless if it's clipping or not,” Woakes said. He elaborated that if a batter decides to let the ball go and it still hits the stumps, it should be out, irrespective of the extent of impact.
Despite the frustrating calls, Woakes recognized the improvements DRS has brought to cricket. "I need to be careful: I've had some (decisions) go my way over the years. In general, DRS has been good for the game. A lot more right decisions are given (than before)," Woakes said. He also emotionally spoke about his late father and a tattoo he got in his memory.
Looking ahead, Woakes emphasized the importance of England taking early wickets on Day 2 to get back into the contest. He believes the pitch still offers enough assistance to the bowlers, and England needs to capitalize on that.
