Nonetheless, Woakes appeared from the dressing room, his injured arm coated by his England sweater. As Atkinson shielded him from the strike, Woakes spent 16 minutes within the center earlier than Atkinson was bowled by Mohammed Siraj to finish the Check and provides India a 2-2 collection draw.

Though Woakes didn’t face a supply, it’s understood he was making ready to take a left-handed stance. This may have put his wholesome proper arm on the high of the deal with in command of the bat, and distanced his injured left shoulder as removed from the ball as attainable.

“It is what you need from our gamers,” mentioned McCullum. “This recreation is tough and takes us to some powerful locations, difficult us mentally and bodily. Typically we find yourself with accidents. To nonetheless need to exit and do your greatest on your nation is what these guys are determined to indicate.

“I believed Woakesy was actually courageous to try this. You can see working between the wickets how a lot ache he was in. I believed we’d have a fairytale, the place we would have liked two to win and he was on strike and located a approach. However it wasn’t to be.”

Woakes’ harm makes him an enormous doubt for the Ashes tour of Australia, which begins in November, and he is not going to play in The Hundred, which begins on Tuesday.

England captain Ben Stokes had already been dominated out of the fifth Check with a shoulder harm of his personal and faces a interval of rehabilitation.

McCullum mentioned the talismanic skipper shall be “fantastic” for the Ashes. Stokes withdrew from enjoying in The Hundred earlier this yr and can as a substitute spend time along with his Northern Superchargers staff in a training and mentoring capability.

Woakes’ harm got here on the finish of a collection that included numerous gamers struck down.

England spinner Shoaib Bashir bowled with a damaged finger within the third Check at Lord’s and India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant batted with a damaged foot within the fourth Check at Previous Trafford.

It has ignited the controversy over whether or not harm replacements needs to be launched, however Stokes was agency in his opposition to the thought.

“I do not see it being a factor,” mentioned Stokes. “I might have gone into this recreation realizing I had a sore shoulder and saying I will give it a go, hopefully I come by means of but when not I do know I’ve somebody who can are available and change me.

“I really feel like there’s room the place you can manipulate it a bit bit. I’m nonetheless closely in opposition to it.”