Mark Wood is excited to be playing without restrictions during England’s Twenty20 series against India. He’s been a key player, appearing in the first two matches as England faces a crucial game in Rajkot, where they need a win to stay in the series.
With India leading 2-0 in the five-match series, Wood is grateful for the opportunity. He comments, “I was surprised but pleased. I’ve missed so many games for England that when you have a chance you want to play.” Despite being 35, he remains the fastest bowler on the team. Having recently returned from an elbow injury, he hit speeds of 92 mph while playing.
Wood acknowledges his performance isn’t perfect yet. “It’s great that my pace is back, but my accuracy needs work,” he admits. After being out of action since August, he understands it takes time to adjust. “Hopefully, the more I play, the better I’ll get, especially with the Champions Trophy coming up,” he adds.
As one of the veterans on the team, Wood is aware that his career could be nearing its end. He wonders about his future amidst a wave of younger talent. “You think, could this be my last time playing here?” he reflects. “As long as my teammates and coaches believe in me, I’ll keep pushing forward.”
This series highlights England’s strategy of using a fast-paced attack against India’s spin-heavy bowling. Coach Brendon McCullum encourages Wood to focus on speed and taking wickets. However, Wood knows he may also need to adjust his tactics based on the match conditions. “The other night, the ball was skidding on, so slower balls didn’t seem like a good idea,” he explains.
In other news, Jasprit Bumrah was named the ICC men’s Test cricketer of the year. He had an exceptional season, taking 71 wickets at an impressive average, making him standout in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
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