Chris Woakes at Lord’s: The unsung hero risen through the ranks

He is walking out to play his comeback Test match at the Home of Cricket after recovering from his injury. He is nervous to face the team that is topping the chart of rankings.

His team has already got three frontline pacers in the side and he probably is hesitant to think about how his name would be prominent on the team sheet. When given an opportunity at any point of the game, he is tending to do something that could have his name on the top of the sports magazine next day.

He bowls like there is no way back. Some moments later, he finally is successful to beat the finest batsman of this era when the ball edges to the slip but his teammate could not grab the ball. He is disappointed to see the outcome. By watching the look on his face; it seems he is thinking that this minute is maybe a start of his miserable evening.

He overcomes his thoughts and bowl out the next delivery with the same fervour, the batsman edges the ball again and he watches the same fielder who dropped the catch on the previous delivery, makes an attempt to catch the ball. When he blinks his eye, he watches the most cherished instant of his career because the no. 1 batsman of the purest form of the game returns to the pavilion due to his brilliance. He celebrates with all the excitement and joy.

On the next day, his team is struggling to have their command in the match. Half of the batsmen of his team are sent out to the dressing room before his team crossed the mark of 150 runs.

The successfully grabbed opportunity could lead him to his dream outing. So he bats his heart out, settles out on the crease with patience and provides his team a kind of glamour that the opposition could not stand a tiny chance against his team in the game.

He raises the bat to celebrate a triumph of the hundred at Lord’s; it is something that some of the greatest cricketing marvels could not do in their career.

When he walks back to the dressing room, the crowd applauds him. He is carrying a smile on his face. It is the smile which speaks a thousand words but the words are hidden. Maybe those are indicating an accomplishment, he was wishing, for a long time.