Chris Woakes was overcome by emotion in the wake of his first match-winning contribution in a decade of Ashes cricket, admitting that he feared his Test career was over in a long absence from the side.
Woakes, 34, had not played a Test since March last year, before the Bazball revolution, and had played just one Test in England – where he is so much more effective than overseas – since a strong summer in 2020.
But, partly to balance England’s side when Ben Stokes could not bowl, he was recalled at Headingley, where he picked up six vital wickets – all of them of players in Australia’s top seven – before keeping his composure in making an unbeaten 32 to guide his team to victory. Woakes made his Test debut as far as back as the 2013 Ashes, but this was his most complete performance against Australia.
A knee injury kept Woakes out of the first…