Atkinson, who is playing his first Test of the series following a hamstring strain, said that he is "ready to push the limits" in case Woakes does not take any further part.
Former England skipper Alastair Cook backed Ollie Pope to retain the No. 3 spot in the batting line-up ahead of Jacob Bethell during the upcoming five-match Test series against India.
The new-look Indian team to be captained by Shubman Gill departed for their upcoming tour for Zimbabwe on Tuesday.
ICC ODI Rankings: India retained top spot while West Indies slipped to 10th spot.
Among the active batters, Joe Root, 34, looks the only one who could go past Sachin Tendulkar's Test record tally of 15921 runs.
Teenager Eddie Jack's call-up comes at a time when England's pace stocks are depleted with less than 10 days to go for the opening Test.
Several of the home batters got starts but Clive Madande was the top scorer with an unbeaten 29 from 25 balls as Zimbabwe collapsed from 73-3 to 90-9 before a late innings flurry.
IMAGES from the 1st T20I between Zimbabwe and India played in Harare on Saturday
Joe Root has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Men's Test Batting Rankings after his stellar efforts helped England secure a 22-run victory over India at Lord's, according to the official website of the ICC.
England's right-handed batter Harry Brook has replaced his teammate Joe Root to reclaim the No. 1 Test batter's position in the world
Rashid Khan opens up on rehab mistakes, how a break helped him rediscover his best following back surgery.
Spinner Taijul Islam picked up a five-wicket haul to give Bangladesh the upper hand against Zimbabwe on Day 1 of the second Test.
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has signed a short-team deal, subject to international clearance, with Nottinghamshire to play two county matches, the club said on Friday.
Southee had retired from international cricket in December, 2024, as New Zealand's all-time leading wicket-taker.
Ravindra Jadeja continues to reign supreme at the top of the ICC Men's Test Player Rankings for all-rounders, but his lead has narrowed following a stellar performance from Bangladesh's Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
Rishabh Pant is only the second wicketkeeper in the history of Test cricket to hit two hundreds in the same match.
Team India enjoys the unwavering support of one of cricket's most passionate fan bases in the world.
Atherton reckons that in his three years at the helm, the series against India is Stokes' sternest test of leadership qualities.
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for the first Test against England?
South Africa will co-host the next 50-over Cricket World Cup in 2027 along with Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Selected at number three ahead of the burgeoning talent of Jacob Bethell, who averaged 52 on his first Test tour of New Zealand, Pope settled after early scares to compile his ninth Test century.
Jamie Overton returns to the Test line-up for the first time since earning his sole cap against New Zealand at Headingley in June 2022.
42 years of World Cup triumph: A Day that made Indian cricket what it is
It won't be easy for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to remain fit and find a place in India's ODI World Cup squad in 2027, said former captain Sourav Ganguly.
'We all know what Stokes is capable of, but it's great to have your leader being able to grab the ball like that and showing you the way sometimes.'
Zimbabwe series will be announced by the end of this week
England Test captain Ben Stokes hopes he can become a dominant force with both bat and ball again when the all-rounder returns from hamstring surgery.
'Cricket has always united us, and now, it's part of the Olympic movement! On this #OlympicDay, let's celebrate the power of sport to inspire, connect, and uplift'
India will play a five-match T20 International series against Zimbabwe, starting on July 6.
Pant also matched India's veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane, who was the last vice-captain to smash a century in each innings, doing so against South Africa in New Delhi, in 2015.
Pakistan selectors rule out T20 role for Babar, Rizwan and Afridi in near future
The ICC is ready to sanction four-day Tests for smaller nations in the 2027-29 World Test Championship cycle but India, Australia and England can still play the traditional five-day matches.
The three players will travel back home to India with the rest of the T20 World Cup winning squad.
The replacement will be effective from May 26.
Skipper Shubman Gill struck a sublime half-century, while off-spinner Washington Sundar returned with tidy figures of 3/15 as India outclassed Zimbabwe by 23 runs.
NZ hand young talent contracts as big guns remain casual
Walter, who led South Africa to the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup and final of last year's Twenty20 World Cup, is contracted through to the end of the 2028 World Cup, which New Zealand is co-hosting with Australia.
Legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev on Wednesday expressed his surprise at the renaming of the Pataudi Trophy as the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, calling the decision "strange."
Fine half-centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill helped India secure a series win over Zimbabwe after beating the hosts by 10 wickets.
England pacer Brydon Carse has opened up about his recent injury ordeal, saying he contemplated amputating a toe to overcome a persistent and painful problem that kept him out of action for months.