By 
Cricket is often a game of stats, numbers, and records. But every once in a while, it reminds us of the human stories that transcend the scoreboard. Chris Woakes provided one such moment at Edgbaston during the second Test between India and England. His performance with the ball was impactful, but it was the emotional weight behind it — a tribute to his late father — that left a deeper mark.
A Delivery to Remember
It was the 56th over of the Indian innings when the match changed gears. After several unsuccessful attempts to get the ball changed earlier, the umpires finally agreed. The new ball, clearly more responsive with one side noticeably shinier than the other, gave Woakes the control and movement he had been searching for all day.
The first couple of deliveries to Nitish Kumar Reddy hinted at what was to come. One nipped in slightly and was defended solidly. The next was wide outside off and left alone. But the third — it was pure cricketing magic. Seam upright, shiny side angled perfectly, and the ball jagged in viciously off the pitch. Nitish, expecting another one that would hold its line, shouldered arms.
The next moment, his off stump lay cartwheeling.
It was not just a wicket — it was a bowler’s dream. A delivery that would be replayed for years to come. For Woakes, it was his second wicket of the innings, following the earlier dismissal of KL Rahul.
The Man Behind the Magic
But the real story came after the day’s play, when Woakes opened up about what that performance meant to him personally. The 36-year-old has been dealing with the loss of his father, Roger Woakes, who passed away in May 2025. Emotions that had been quietly tucked away surfaced during the press conference.
“Definitely. He’s always on my mind, that’s for sure,” Woakes said, holding back tears. “There are moments where I think about him. He loved his cricket, and he’d have loved this week.”
Woakes revealed a tattoo he had recently inked on his left tricep — a deeply personal tribute to his father. The tattoo shows Roger from behind, wearing his trademark flat cap, walking with his hands behind his back — a familiar image for anyone who knew him.
“My Dad always wore a flat cap, and he would walk around the boundary with his hands behind his back, nervously watching me play cricket,” Woakes recalled. “I got it in memory of him. It just felt like the right thing to do.”
The tattoo is surrounded by his father’s initials and birth and death dates — a permanent reminder etched into his skin of the man who had walked every step of the cricketing journey alongside him.
Woakes-revealed-a-tattoo-he-had-recently-inked-on-his-left-tricep-a-deeply-personal-tribute-to-his-father
Home Comforts at Edgbaston
Woakes’s performance was made even more special by the fact that it came at Edgbaston — his home ground. A proud Brummie, Woakes has played all of his county cricket with Warwickshire and has a deep-rooted connection with the ground and its people.
Asked if the wickets at Edgbaston meant a little more, Woakes didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, I’d say so. Across a career, you don’t get that many games at your home venue. This is only my fourth. That’s not a load. At the age I am, they don’t come around too often.”
He added, “It’s a special week and I have a lot of friends and family in the ground. I have a love for Warwickshire that goes deep. It’s all I’ve ever known, my whole professional career has been here. I was here before this stand was here. I’ve seen it change, and there’s a lot of people behind the scenes that support you in the good times and the bad.”
In many ways, it was the perfect setting — performing in front of familiar faces, with memories of his father in the air, and a special tattoo freshly inked to honour him.
Performing-in-front-of-familiar-faces,-with-memories-of-his-father-in-the-air,-and-a-special-tattoo-freshly-inked-to-honour-him.
More Than Just Wickets
Although Woakes finished with two wickets in the innings, he was unlucky not to have picked up more. Twice, umpire Sharfuddoula turned down loud appeals, and both reviews came back with the dreaded “umpire’s call.” One of those deliveries, to Karun Nair, was a near-replica of the ball that got Nitish Kumar Reddy — a sharp nip-backer that beat the bat and had the entire slip cordon up in arms.
But that’s the fine margin in Test cricket. A few millimeters can be the difference between a match-turning moment and a shrug of the shoulders. Still, Woakes’s spell was a telling reminder of his potency with the red ball, especially in English conditions where he averages a stellar 22.6.
Even though he hasn’t always been a permanent fixture in the Test side, Woakes has consistently proven his worth whenever called upon. His ability to generate late movement — both off the seam and in the air — makes him a lethal option, particularly at grounds like Edgbaston, where he knows every blade of grass.
Twice-umpire-Sharfuddoula-turned-down-loud-appeals,-and-both-reviews-came-back-with-the-dreaded -umpire’s-call.
Cricket, Family, and Legacy
Sport, at its best, brings out emotion. And for Chris Woakes, this match wasn’t just about wickets or statistics. It was about memory, love, and legacy.
Roger Woakes may no longer be physically present, but he was undeniably part of every delivery Chris bowled. From the nervous walks around the boundary to the proud glances from the stands, Roger’s spirit was woven into the very fabric of the game Woakes played this week.
In the fast-paced world of international cricket, where careers are often reduced to averages and win-loss columns, moments like these serve as powerful reminders that the game is played by human beings — each carrying stories, heartaches, and love far beyond the pitch.
As the crowd at Edgbaston applauded Chris Woakes for his brilliant spell, many weren’t just clapping for the bowler — they were honouring a son, a father, and a beautiful connection between the two.
Roger’s-spirit-was-woven-into-the-very-fabric-of-the-game-Woakes-played-this-week.
Comments