Former England National Cricket Team captain Nasser Hussain has praised 33-year-old fast pacer Mark Wood for lifting England “mentally and emotionally” in the ongoing 2023 Ashes series.
Wood made the England playing XI for the third test match. He was among three changes the Ben Stokes-led side made to their playing XI for the third test. Wood along with Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali replaced James Anderson, Josh Tongue and Ollie Pope at Headingley in Leeds.
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Mark Wood looked great from the first pitch he threw at Headingley. He worried the Australians with his fast pace and ended his spell with a haul of 5 wickets.
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When Wood came out to bat, he once again did a fantastic job and added up crucial runs. He showed aggressive intent and played an entertaining fast shot. Pacemaker scored 24 runs off 8-balls, with one four and three sixes.
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He just seems to love life and love the game: Nasser Hussain on Mark Wood
Meanwhile, Hussain believes that having a positive character like Mark Wood in the lineup is very important for lifting a team’s spirits after facing heartbreaking losses.
“When you play back-to-back Tests in three days and have two heartbreaking losses, you need someone like Wood. Not only his ability but also his character. He just seems to love life and love the game. England needed a mental and emotional boost and I think that’s what Wood has provided with his pace and ability for six hits (laughs),” he said while speaking on Sky Sports Cricket’s Ashes Podcast.
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During the same discussion, batting legend Kumar Sangakkara shared his views on Mark Wood. He praised the pacemaker express for giving it his all in both the bowling and batting departments.
“Those are the little moments you need in a game like this. Everyone doing their part and staying with Stokes who was batting so well. I think (Wood’s) innings galvanized Stokes as well because he expected a tougher graft at the time. Wood gives everything from the heart, whether it’s with the bat, the ball or on the field, and it was brilliant to watch,” said Kumar Sangakkara.
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England registered 237 runs on the board in their first innings in response to Australia’s 263 runs. Ben Stokes played a sensational 80-run innings while other batsmen missed miserably.
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