WATCH: Chris Woakes’ switch to spin bowling leaves Joe Root in splits on Day 2 of the third ENG vs SL Test

In a strange turn of events during Day 2 of the third Test between England and Sri Lanka at The Oval, fast bowler Chris Woakes was compelled to bowl four deliveries of off-spin due to fading light. The incident occurred when the umpires, concerned about the poor visibility, instructed England captain Ollie Pope to switch to spin bowlers. Woakes, already two balls into his over, had to comply with the directive and switched to off-spin after a brief discussion between the umpires and Pope.

Light conditions force unusual tactics

The incident with Woakes occurred after Dimuth Karunaratne’s run-out, prompting the umpires to instruct Woakes that he could only bowl spin or they would call off play. Woakes, who had two slips and a leg slip in place, bowled the remainder of his over with some difficulty. His first delivery was short, allowing Kusal Mendis to find a gap, and another was wide, close to the off-side marker, giving Pathum Nissanka the chance to hit a four. However, Woakes adjusted his line and length by the final ball, taking it away from the right-handed Nissanka. Ironically, the light improved immediately afterward, allowing Gus Atkinson to bowl normally.

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Chris Woakes concedes six runs amid laughter from teammates

Woakes, clearly out of his comfort zone, conceded six runs from the four off-spin deliveries, including a boundary by Nissanka after Kusal took a single. The sight of Woakes bowling spin left former England captain Joe Root in splits as he stood at first slip, while England’s spin bowling coach Jeetan Patel, a former quality off-spinner for New Zealand, looked visibly concerned. The moment was all the more surprising given that regular captain Ben Stokes, watching from the Oval balcony due to injury, appeared shocked by what he was witnessing.

Here’s the video:

STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING! ⚠️

Bad light means Chris Woakes is bowling spin 😆 pic.twitter.com/TPYSnwXiEN

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 7, 2024

Ben Stokes’ reaction is EVERYTHING 🤣 pic.twitter.com/OgMyMuJKyQ

— England’s Barmy Army 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) September 7, 2024

Sri Lanka fights back on Day 2

Sri Lanka made a strong recovery on Day 2 of the third Test at the Kennington Oval, finishing at 211/5 in response to England’s 325 which was largely built around a brilliant 154 off 156 balls by skipper Pope. He was well supported by Ben Duckett, who contributed a valuable 86 runs. Nevertheless, the rest of the batting lineup struggled, with Harry Brook‘s 19 being the next best score. Despite Pope and Duckett’s efforts, England failed to capitalize fully on their strong start, leaving the door open for Sri Lanka to fight back.

In response, Sri Lanka, after a shaky start, they were rescued by an unbeaten 118-run partnership between Dhananjaya de Silva (64*) and Kamindu Mendis (54*). Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka’s bowlers, led by Milan Rathnayake, restricted England’s lower order to limit the hosts’ total.