Mark Wood ruled out: The English fast bowler won’t be playing the third Test match between England and India in Headingley.
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England fast bowler Mark Wood has joined the bandwagon with respect to English players who are out of action due to various reasons. Readers must note that England are already without the likes of Jofra Archer (elbow injury), Ben Stokes (personal reasons), Chris Woakes (heel injury), Olly Stone (stress fracture) and Stuart Broad (calf injury).
It was on the fourth day of the second Test that Wood had tried to stop a boundary hit by India wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant off England all-rounder Moeen Ali.
While Wood was successful in saving a run for his team, it came at the price of him injuring his shoulder in return. Wood, who had left the field for some overs due to a strapped shoulder, had not just returned on the morning of the fifth day but also bowled his heart out.
“‘I wish I’d stuck the big boot out,’ was the first thing that came into my mind [laughs]. It saved one run, hopefully we don’t need that extra run at the end but I guess that’s the just the way I play. I try to give everything I’ve got whether I’m bowling or fielding,” Wood was quoted as saying by Sky Sports before play started on Day 5.
Mark Wood ruled out of Leeds Test vs India
Having picked bowling figures of 42.1-6-142-5 at Lord’s, Wood was England second-best bowler after veteran pacer James Anderson. Having said that, a jarred (painful and damaging shock to a body part) right shoulder won’t allow him to take part in the third Test against India starting from September 25.
“England seamer Mark Wood has been ruled out of the LV= Insurance third Test against India with a jarred right shoulder,” ECB (England Cricket Board) said in a statement.
Wood’s absence means that one out of Craig Overton or Saqib Mahmood will be playing the third Test at Leeds. While Overton had played the last of his four Tests during Ashes 2019 at Old Trafford, Mahmood remains uncapped in this format.
