“They always say if you don’t notice a goalkeeper he’s done a good job and Ollie certainly did,” Woakes said. “He was brilliant last week, stepping into a role he hasn’t played often.”
“The fact that he scores runs just shows his character in that he commits to the team without making a fuss and keeps going.”
In the New Zealand capital, England return to the Basin Reserve, where they suffered their classic all-time one-run defeat against the Black Caps in February 2023. Stokes' side became only the fourth in Test history to lose after enforcing the extra play.
On Wednesday, two days before the start of the second Test, the pitch in Wellington looked green but it is expected to remain true.
“It's green, but I'm not sure it's as green as it was last week,” Woakes told BBC Sport. “There are a few brown spots so there is a risk of it drying out later in the week.”
Woakes also backed England opener Zak Crawley, whose scores of zero and one in the first Test meant his average fell below 10 in 17 innings against New Zealand.
“Often these statistics are pure coincidence,” Woakes said. “New Zealand have some very good opening bowlers. He’s hitting the new ball when they’re freshest and best, so he’s probably got some good balls in there.”
“We saw what quality Zak has. Opening the loft is such a difficult task. There will be occasions when you score low. If he gets in, he'll be one of the worst batsmen you can face in international cricket. “I'm sure that record will change.