The 33 year old England cricket team Express pacer Mark Wood has said that he tends to try harder when bowling Steve Smith as he is always desperate to get the Australian star’s ground.

The fourth Test of the ongoing 2023 Ashes series is currently underway at Old Trafford in Manchester. England have dominated the Test and look set to win and level the series 2-2, only if rain doesn’t play spoilsports.

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Meanwhile, England pacemaker Mark Wood, who has been the real difference maker in the marquee series, said he is delighted to complete 100 wickets in Test cricket.

“Very proud moment, my family was in the crowd and I am delighted to have made it there. It feels like we have a good experience in the group and it feels good to join an elite group of bowlers. I’m glad we were able to get there but hopefully I have a few more in the tank today,” Wood told the BBC ahead of Day 4 of the Test match.

Talking about his battle against Steve Smith, Mark Wood said that Smith is a great bowler and gives his best when bowling against today’s heavy hitters.

“We look at all the players, not just Steve Smith. Maybe with Smith, I try harder because he’s a good player so you’re desperate to get the wicket from him. He’s a key player for his team, so you’re trying really hard to get rid of him. My first 20 balls for him are key, I’m trying to make an impact early and change the game for the team,” Wood said.

In the early innings of the fourth Test, Wood dismissed Steve Smith while in the second innings he was at his aggressive best. Wood destroyed the Australian top order with his bouncers and picked crucial wickets from Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith and Travis Head, leaving the visitors reeling at 113/4 at stumps on Day 3.

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Stokes has asked me to play those short sharp spells – Mark Wood

Mark Wood further said that his employer, Ben Stokes, asked him to cast short, sharp spells and make crucial breakthroughs.

“Stokes has asked me to cast those short, sharp spells and try to make something happen. He’s not worried about the runs I’m looking for, he’s just trying to attack. Sometimes we try to hold our ground and other times we just attack,” Wood said.

Mark Wood added that he is pleased to complete 100 Test wickets considering his career has been littered with injuries.

“I wouldn’t look that far at this point, I was glad I made it here, it’s a big tick for me. I have a bad injury record, but in these two games I have given everything. The most important thing is that we have to cross the line in this game. Big windows to get here. Australia have a great batting lineup so if I get them we can look forward to it,” he concluded.

Also read: ENG vs AUS: ‘We got hit left, right and over’: Ian Healy takes a dig at Pat Cummins’ captaincy on Day 2 in Manchester