England effectively ended the career of 42-year-old Anderson, their all-time leading wicket-taker, with an eye on the 2025-26 Ashes tour of Australia.
That has led to some questions of their loyalty to Woakes, a similar style of bowler, and hardly young for a paceman despite being seven years Anderson’s junior.
One key asset for Woakes is his batting, and a Test average of almost 28. He is comfortably the best batter among England’s bowlers, a genuine number eight who has been pushed up to seven in the absence of injured captain Stokes.
“That is a bonus, isn’t it?” said Woakes. “It’s an extra string in the bow which allows me to potentially be selected ahead of someone else who maybe can’t quite fulfil that role.”
Woakes helped England dismiss Sri Lanka for 238 on the first day of the three-match series, with the hosts then reaching 22-0 before bad light stopped play in Manchester.
“I firmly feel we’ve had a great day,” Woakes told Test Match Special. “To bowl a team out on day one and then be none down at the close, that’s always really pleasing.”
England are being led for the first time by Ollie Pope, the vice-captain stepping up as skipper for this series because of Stokes’ hamstring injury.
Pope, 26, has captained in only one previous first-class match and has become just the fifth different man to take charge of England in a Test since 2009.
“Obviously it feels different not having Ben out there,” said Woakes. “I thought Ollie was good. He probably found himself having to switch on a little bit more than he would normally.
“As captain you have to be on the ball all the time, constantly thinking about fields, bowling changes and how to get wickets.
“He communicated with the bowlers well, talking about options and field settings. For an inexperienced captain, I thought he did a great job.”