Chris Woakes is closing in on becoming only the sixth Englishman to do the double of 2,000 runs and 200 wickets in Test cricket
It is reasonable to wonder where this England team and the entire Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum project might be without Chris Woakes.
Two years ago, with England 2-0 down in a home Ashes, reputations and possibly jobs were on the line. Woakes was recalled when England were staring into the abyss.
Alongside his good mate Mark Wood, Woakes engineered victory at Headingley, the pair in the middle together when the winning runs were hit, then it was Woakes who did most of the work in Stuart Broad's send-off at The Oval. A 2-2 draw, Woakes the player of the series despite only playing three Tests.
"There are sliding doors moments in sport, even more so in Test cricket," the Warwickshire man tells BBC Sport after a gym session at Edgbaston.
