New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) After a highly competitive Test series against India, England have turned their focus to the Ashes tour of Australia later this year, with pacer Chris Woakes providing an encouraging update on his fitness.

Woakes, who dislocated his shoulder while fielding in the fifth Test at The Oval in London earlier this month, said his rehabilitation is progressing faster than expected, boosting his chances of being fit in time for the high-profile series.

“Certainly good news for me. That’s the best way to look at it,” Woakes, who was without an arm sling, told Sky Sports on the sidelines of The Hundred. “Obviously, out of the sling and feel like I can move it a lot better now, which is good two weeks down the line. I suppose once you get a little bit more movement into it, it feels a little bit more normal. But still a lot of work to do,” he added.

Woakes, who had a mediocre five-Test series against India with just 11 wickets to his name, said that he is focusing on rehabilitation after opting out for surgery to be fit in time for the all-important Ashes.

“Going to try and (stay) focused on the rehab and get it as strong as possible. Ideally, not for surgery for now, but we’ll see how that goes and hopefully we can get it nice and strong again,” the pacer said.

Woakes sustained the injury on the opening day of the series decider against India at The Oval. Although ruled out for the rest of the match, he courageously came out to bat on the tense final morning with his left arm in a sling as England pushed for a series-clinching win, ultimately falling just six runs short.

Woakes’ recovery update is a welcome boost for England, who face another five-Test challenge against arch-rivals Australia starting November 21.

–IANS

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