England might miss the services of injured fast bowler Mark Wood for an extended period following their resurgence in the Ashes competition. England’s captain Joe Root displayed an outstanding unbeaten century, his first in Australia, guiding the team to a commanding position in the second Test at The Gabba.
Root’s exceptional innings of 135 not out led England to a total of 325-9, with valuable contributions from Zak Crawley (76) and Jofra Archer (32 not out). Despite some promising moments from the Australian team, the day predominantly belonged to Ben Stokes’ squad.
However, concerns arose off the field regarding Wood’s injury situation. Initially ruled out for the second Test due to a knee injury, Wood revealed doubts about his availability for the upcoming match in Adelaide. Wood, who bowled 11 wicketless overs in the first Test in Perth, expressed uncertainty about returning to action before Christmas.
The 35-year-old fast bowler mentioned the possibility of making a comeback for the third Test in Adelaide but hinted that a more realistic timeline could be the matches in Melbourne and Sydney. Wood’s history of injury setbacks, including a recent elbow issue that kept him out of Test cricket for over a year, adds to the concerns about his current injury.
Former England captain Michael Atherton highlighted the significance of Wood’s absence, emphasizing his crucial role as a pace bowler in England’s Ashes strategy. Despite Wood’s setback, England made a tactical adjustment by including spin-bowling allrounder Will Jacks in the team for the Brisbane Test.
In response to Root’s stellar performance, Australian left-arm bowler Mitchell Starc stood out with figures of 6-71 from 19 overs with the pink ball. The ongoing Ashes series, scheduled to start on November 21, can be watched live on TNT Sports via discovery+ or Prime Video’s TNT Sports channel.
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