England fast bowler Mark Wood has said he is ready to hit Australia with more “thunderbolts” in next week’s fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford following his impressive return to international duty at Headingley.
Wood was named player-of-the-match in Leeds after a fine all-round display where the Durham express quick returned match figures of 7-100.
He also hit a vital 40 runs off just 16 balls faced as England won the third Test by three wickets to revive their series hopes at 2-1 down with two to play.
His extra speed gave England’s attack an added dimension and shook up several Australia batsmen who had faced nothing quite like it during the tourists’ wins at Edgbaston and Lord’s.
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Wood was clocked at 96.5 mph at one stage during his Headingley heroics, with the paceman saying England captain and Durham team-mate Ben Stokes had given him just one instruction prior to his first spell in Test cricket since December’s tour of Pakistan.
“Ben just asked me, ‘Are you ready? Are you ready to bowl some thunderbolts?’ I said yes and that was it,” Wood told reporters.
“He was ready to unleash me. I know him well and he knows me well. Having that relationship with someone makes it easier.”
Wood, asked if he was ready for a repeat performance in Manchester next week, replied with a grin: “Absolutely. Lightning strikes twice, eh?”
One of the fastest bowlers to play for England, the amiable Wood’s career has been blighted by injuries, notably ankle problems, with his body rebelling at the sheer strain of his job.
Wood’s fitness problems are underlined by the fact that since his debut in 2015 he has appeared in just 29 out of a possible 109 Tests. Nevertheless, Wood remains confident he can feature throughout the remainder of the Ashes, even though there is a just a three-day gap between the fourth and fifth games of the series.
“I did four (Tests) in Australia last time and three of them were in a row,” he said.
“It’s a big ask, but one I’ve done before and I will lean on that experience to try to do it again.
“This was my first game in a very, very long time, especially in Test cricket. I will let the body recover, get myself in a good space, let the wounds recover and get myself up for the next one.”
‘Challenging’
In the meantime Wood was proud of his efforts in Leeds against world Test champion Australia.
“It fills me with great pride to say I can do well against Australia,” he said.
“It’s challenging because they are a top, top side. It’s one of the best feelings I’ve had.
“Look at facing Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. One, it’s not easy. Two, it’s really intimidating.
“They’re bowling fast, they get good bounce and more often than not they come out on top. Luckily this time it’s the one out of 100 I’ve managed to get through.”
Wood added: “The 2005 Ashes (which England won 2-1) was the absolute pinnacle for me -- I was at a great age, a teenager, and my hometown hero (fellow fast bowler Steve Harmison) was playing.
“I don’t feel like it’s to that magnitude, but it’s great to have the support, which has been amazing everywhere we’ve been. You feel it on the street walking around, people messaging you.
“It’s amazing as a nation that we can carry this weight of support with us.”
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