Woakes Rueful After Close DRS Calls Favor India in Edgbaston Test; England Missed Early Domination

Chris Woakes expressed his frustration after several close DRS calls went against England on the opening day of the Edgbaston Test against India. The seamer believed that the decisions could have drastically altered the course of the day, potentially leaving India reeling at 30 for 3.

Chris Woakes celebrates a wicket on day one. © Getty

Woakes, visibly displeased with the third umpire's call, saw his appeal for a wicket against Karun Nair turned down. The ball, which nipped back sharply, struck Nair's pad, and while the impact was outside off-stump, Nair had not offered a shot. Woakes was convinced the ball would have hit the stumps, but the replay showed it only clipping the top of the off-stump, leading to the on-field umpire's decision being upheld.

"I need to be careful: I've had some [decisions] go my way over the years," Woakes acknowledged during the post-day press conference. He added, "In general, DRS has been good for the game. A lot more right decisions are given [than before]. The only thing I would like to come in is that if a batsman decides to leave the ball and it's still hitting the stumps, I think that should be out - regardless if it's clipping or not."

Earlier in the day, Yashasvi Jaiswal also benefited from a similar marginal call. Woakes trapped Jaiswal on the front pad, and the bowler was certain the ball had pitched in line. However, replays indicated the ball was just clipping the top of leg-stump.

Despite the frustrations, Woakes managed to pick up two wickets, finishing the day with figures of 2-59 in 21 overs. One notable dismissal was that of Nitish Reddy, who shouldered arms to a delivery that nipped back in to hit the stumps.

The Edgbaston pitch, under grey skies, proved to be favorable for batting as India reached 310/5 at the close of play, aided by a century from Shubman Gill.

Woakes explained his strategy of bowling from wide of the crease. "It felt like the stumps were in play all day," he said. "It didn't feel like a massive nick-off wicket, to be honest; it didn't feel like it had the pace in it for that... It was something which we were looking for. Basically, it was trying to find the right length that allowed you to be full enough not to get driven, but still bring the stumps into play."

Playing at his home ground made the day even more special for Woakes. "Across a career, you don't get that many games at your home venue: this is my fourth Test match here. They are really special weeks. You have a lot of friends and family in the ground, and I've got a lot of love for Warwickshire which goes deep. It's all I've ever known... There's a lot of people behind the scenes who support you through the good times and the bad," he concluded.