England pacer Chris Woakes was taken off the field due to a shoulder injury during IND vs ENG 5th Test. (AP)The scattered stumps of Gus Atkinson. The euphoric celebrations of Mohammed Siraj. Shubman Gill leaping mid-air. But the most iconic moment of the Oval Test between India and England, decided by six runs, was Chris Woakes striding out to bat with a dislocated shoulder, his left arm tucked in a jumper, the right arm padded in a sling. He did not face a ball and remained unbeaten on zero.In an interview with The Guardian, he said he wished facing at least one ball. “In a selfish way I didn’t want my wicket to be the deciding one, but part of me still wishes I could have faced a ball,” he tells the UK-based newspaper.England needed 17 more runs to win the game and series when he took guard, much to the surprise of the spectators. They were certain that he would not come to bat after hurting his shoulder on the first day when he chased a ball from mid-off toward the boundary, slipped on a damp outfield, and landed awkwardly when attempting to steady himself.He admitted he felt nervous. “I don’t think I’ve ever been as nervous because I was going into the unknown. I was going to bat with one arm, which was never going to look pretty or be great. One of the things you have to get over is the thought that, when someone’s bowling at 90mph with a hard cricket ball, it can hurt even when you’re batting the right way round. It was a challenge to build up the courage to face that,” he said.He also knew that India’s seamers—Siraj and Akash Deep bowling with their tails’ up would be merciless. But he was determined. “In international arena it’s dog eat dog. So there was certainly some fear in the cauldron. It would be stumps or head, so I was going to have to wear a few. Your brain naturally tells you: ‘I don’t want to do this.’ But you have to get over that. We got [the run chase] down to seven because Gus Atkinson did fantastically well. So close, yet so far.”It was both a memorable as well as horrible moment. “It was amazing to go out like that but, in another way, quite sad,” he said. “To walk out in front of a full house, and get a standing ovation, was maybe meant to be my farewell. But it was a horrible moment as well. I had the agony of the shoulder, but there’s no worse feeling, especially as a bowler, when you leave the team handicapped: 10 v 11. Not many teams win from that position. That hurts,” he added.Atkinson did well to protect Woakes from strike and brought the target within one lusty blow from a famous win. It was not to be, as Siraj smashed his stumps when attending a wild heave. England were defeated, but Woakes remained unbeaten in spirit.Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.Tags:Chris Woakes