England’s hopes of continuing their high-pace strategy in the Ashes have taken a worrying turn, with fast bowler Mark Wood admitting that he may not be fit enough for the upcoming third Test. Wood, renowned for consistently bowling above 90mph, has once again found himself battling a knee problem that threatens to derail England’s plans.
The 35-year-old only recently returned to the Test arena after a nine-month layoff following knee surgery. He was selected for the opening Test in Perth, but England chose not to risk him for the Brisbane clash due to fresh discomfort in his left knee. The gap between the second and third Tests in Adelaide was expected to be sufficient recovery time, but Wood himself has poured cold water on such optimism.
Speaking to Channel 7, Wood said, “I think there’s a chance for Adelaide, but more realistically it’s probably more Melbourne and then Sydney after that. I need to get out of this brace first to get moving around.” The fact that he is still restricted by a knee brace raises serious concerns about how long England will need to wait before unleashing him again.
Wood’s career has been heavily impacted by injury setbacks. Before his recent appearance in Perth, he had not played a Test for 15 months due to both elbow trouble and the major knee operation. Even the warm-up match preceding the Perth Test was far from reassuring — Wood bowled eight overs for England Lions before tightness in his left hamstring forced him off the field. Although scans revealed no serious harm, the recurrence of issues in the same leg remains a point of concern.
In Perth, Wood finished wicketless with figures of 0-44, yet his presence allowed England to deploy their long-held plan: a five-man pace assault to challenge Australia with relentless speed. Their opening day was statistically the fastest collective day of bowling England have ever produced in Test cricket. However, the intensity proved unsustainable. By day two, speeds dropped noticeably, and Australia took full advantage, sealing an eight-wicket victory.
England’s strategy has clearly been built around Wood’s express pace, and without him the approach risks collapsing. With further scans expected and no guarantee of match readiness, selectors are being forced to consider alternatives and possibly rethink their entire bowling blueprint.
If Wood misses Adelaide, England may have to decide whether to persist with raw pace or revert to a more balanced attack involving swing and seam. With the Ashes already slipping away, losing Wood could be more than just a selection setback — it may unravel the very tactic England hoped would win them the urn.