Chris Woakes, bowling in his home venue at Edgbaston, applied effective strategy and relentless bowling to send KL Rahul packing in the England vs India 2nd Test. It was not an accidental or unlucky dismissal, it was a carefully and smartly built dismissal by pressure and precision. A Clear Game Plan from Ball One Chris Woakes began with back-of-a-length and good-length balls, generally in and around off-stump and cutting in towards the stumps. He kept Rahul cramped in the crease, not allowing him even an inch to free his arms or rotate strike. The majority of Rahul's reactions were ones of defense: playing inside the line, leaving the ball, or tucking it on to the leg side. Woakes confused his angles too, at times hurrying in and at others delivering it back in with pace. This made Rahul doubt himself. Woakes consistently tested Rahul's patience in the 2nd and 4th overs with balls wide outside off, sometimes suddenly introducing a surprise delivery on the pads or close to the stumps. Also Read | Bumrah Rested for Edgbaston Test: Smart Move or Big Mistake? Patience, Accuracy, and the Perfect Payoff In the eighth over, Woakes had already thumped the bat several times and struck Rahul on the pads with couple of solid LBW appeals. But he didn't lose hope. On the fourth ball of the 8th over, he bowled a back-of-a-length ball that bounced a bit more than usual. Rahul was in two minds and played a weak defensive shot. The ball hit the top of his bat and rebounded onto the stumps. LBW Appeal Prior to Rahul's dismissal: 📸CHRIS WOAKES HUGE APPEAL KL RAHUL 🫨🫨#ENGvIND #2ndtest pic.twitter.com/zShUjp3kot — Puneet (@Puneet201764291) July 2, 2025 KL Rahul's wicket: Chris Woakes has looked threatening this morning and now has our first! 🔥KL Rahul goes for 2️⃣🇮🇳 1️⃣5️⃣-1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/JqcrKMXVlu — England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 2, 2025 Woakes bowled not only well, he thought ahead as well. He mounted pressure through 26 deliveries without conceding a single run, displaying control, patience, and intent. This was quintessential Test match bowling, delivered to perfection by a bowler who is as familiar with his domestic conditions as the back of his hand.