Woakes Nears Milestone as England Prepared for Decisive Test against India

As anticipation builds for the final showdown of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval on July 31, England's Chris Woakes stands just five wickets short of a remarkable milestone – 400 international wickets. Woakes, presently the eighth leading wicket-taker for England across all formats, has claimed 395 wickets in 216 matches with an average of 29.50 and an economy rate of 3.99. His impressive record includes eight five-wicket hauls and a notable ten-wicket haul.

Throughout the ongoing series, Woakes has made a modest yet valuable contribution, taking ten wickets in four matches, making him the sixth highest wicket-taker in the series. Nevertheless, The Oval holds special promise for him, where he has previously taken 26 wickets in seven appearances, averaging 25.23 with best figures of 4/50.

England's prestigious 400-wicket club includes legends like James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and Ian Botham. With the series poised at 2-1 in their favor, England is poised to secure it. Meanwhile, India, having salvaged a memorable draw in Manchester, approaches the final Test with lifted spirits and aims to level the series, buoyed by outstanding performances from Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, and Ravindra Jadeja.

(With inputs from agencies.)