Chris Woakes said yesterday that he was ready to realise his full Test potential after spending three years honing his pace bowling craft.

The 27-year-old Warwickshire star has admitted he had to recalibrate his swing attack after working to add an extra yard of pace in a bid to thrive in the Test arena.

Woakes took advantage of Ben Stokes’s injury absence to start the process of proving his Test prowess in the 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka and now wants the chance to climb further up that curve this summer.

England start the five-match one-day series against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, with Woakes eyeing a strong performance to stand him in good stead for later challenges against Pakistan.

“I’ve always believed I’ve been good enough to play at Test level but I’ve dipped in and out a bit, and the series against India in 2014, it felt like I bowled well without getting the rewards,” said Woakes.

“My better spells have come when I’ve had a little period in the team, so I’ve always believed I’ve been good enough but you still have your doubts until you do it.

“So from the Durham Test on it was a bit of a breakthrough really. I always believed I could but it was about letting people around me know it.

“I saw something that Cookie (Alastair Cook) said, when I was going to play in Durham, he said: ‘we don’t feel like we’ve seen the best of Chris Woakes yet,’ which is understandable and a fair call.

“I feel I gave a glimpse over the last two Test matches of what I can give.

“With confidence going forward, I might be a shout for the Pakistan series, or with Test series coming up in the future, knowing that they can call on me and have seen what I can do.”

Woakes answered England’s call after Stokes’s knee injury in the first Test against Sri Lanka put him out of the rest of the series.

Though Stokes is believed to be be in the mix for the Pakistan Test series that starts at Lord’s on July 14.