England consider leaving out Mark Wood for second Ashes Test

England are losing the Ashes pace race: Aussies are set to unleash storming Mitchell Starc while gentle Chris Woakes is in the frame for hosts ahead of Mark Wood

• England are looking to bounce back during the second Ashes Test at Lord’s
• Both sides are likely to make changes to their bowling attacks from Edgbaston
• Moeen Ali, meanwhile, has come through training after a finger issue last week 

England are considering leaving out Mark Wood, their fastest bowler, from the second Ashes Test at Lord’s — even as Australia mulled over a recall for Mitchell Starc, the quickest member of their squad.

Wood, the one England player capable of consistently breaching 90mph, sat out the first Test on a flat surface at Edgbaston, where their four right-arm seamers and off-spinner Moeen Ali were unable to prevent Australia from completing a memorable two-wicket win.

And despite Ben Stokes’ long-held desire to hit the Australians with pace — a plan that has since been thwarted by injuries to Jofra Archer and Olly Stone — Wood could miss out again on a Lord’s pitch that looked distinctly green 48 hours before the game.

There is concern that Wood, who has not played any red ball cricket since the Karachi Test in December, is feeling the effects of trying to get his bowling ‘loads’ up in the nets.

And since England want to ensure he does play a part against Australia, it is possible he will be made to wait until next week’s third Test at Headingley.

England are considering leaving Mark Wood out of their team for the second Ashes Test at Lord’s

There is a concern that the fast bowler is feeling the effects of trying to get his bowling ‘loads’ up in the nets

The potential call comes on the back of Wood missing the first Test on a flat pitch at Edgbaston

If that happens, and England lose at Lord’s, it will be hard to avoid comparisons with the 2021-22 Ashes, when Wood was left out of the second Test at Adelaide, the flattest surface of the series.

He then missed the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne, where England went 3-0 down, before being recalled for the dead rubbers at Sydney and Hobart, where he unsettled Australia’s batsmen with his hostility. In all, 12 of his 17 wickets that winter came after England had lost the Ashes.

Many felt Wood should have played at Edgbaston, where a lifeless surface negated the home advantage of seam and swing that England usually enjoy.

The quickest delivery sent down by an England bowler in that game was 87.97mph by Stuart Broad.

In fact, the 24 fastest balls for England at Edgbaston were all delivered by Broad, whose average wicket-taking delivery in Test cricket is measured at 83.32mph. Wood’s is 87.69 and Starc’s 88.68, the fastest on either side.

Whether or not there are sound medical reasons to leave Wood out at Lord’s, his absence would be another blow for Stokes, who had hoped to have the edge over the Australians in the pace race.

Moeen, meanwhile, came through yesterday’s net session unscathed, having struggled at Edgbaston with a blister on his spinning finger in his first Test for nearly two years.

But England were monitoring the fitness of Jimmy Anderson, who looked rusty in the first Test and was not given the second new ball on the tense final evening.

Moeen Ali came through Monday’s net session unscathed after struggling with a finger issue

England are, meanwhile, monitoring the fitness of James Anderson and may choose to rest him

Chris Woakes, meanwhile, could get the call to play at a ground where he averages just 11

Anderson struggled with the contrast between a soft Edgbaston outfield and a hard pitch and is nursing a stiff 40-year-old body.

If England decide to wrap him in cotton wool before Headingley, there could be a recall for Chris Woakes, whose 27 Test wickets at Lord’s have cost just 11 each. Wood, by contrast, has 17 wickets at the venue for nearly 40.

Woakes also averages 61 with the bat in Lord’s Tests and would go in at No 9 behind Moeen, offering England enviable depth.

The likely return of Starc, in place of either Scott Boland, who disappeared for 5.65 an over in the first Test, or Josh Hazlewood, would strengthen Australia’s lower-order batting too.

Australia’s fastest bowler Mitchell Starc, meanwhile, will likely return to the side at Lord’s

But it would also give Australia an asset both sides lacked at Edgbaston — a left-arm angle.

Starc has played only one Test at Lord’s, back in 2015, when he had match figures of two for 102.

Lord’s, though, was also the scene of his ball of the tournament at the 2019 World Cup, when his snaking yorker bowled Stokes to seal victory in a group game.

Starc had been fingered in advance as a likely target for England’s Bazball batsmen, but insisted Australia had little to fear as they go in search of their first 2-0 lead in England since 2001.

‘They’ll take the game on in Test cricket, as they have the last 12 months,’ he said.

‘That’s their approach. We’ll stick to the way we want to approach our Test cricket and hopefully come the end of the series we are sitting back with more wins than them.’

He admitted he expects England to continue to go hard as they have done so far under Ben Stokes

Starc also raised the intriguing possibility that this summer’s batch of Dukes balls are not swinging until the eighth over.

‘There have been discussions from a few guys playing county cricket about the way the Dukes ball is reacting this season,’ he said. ‘It’s potentially the fact that you get eight to 15 overs into an innings and the ball starts to swing then, not when it’s brand new.’

Will it be Mr Reliable v Mr Rapid?

Chris Woakes will need no second invitation to play at Lord’s.

In five Tests there, he has taken 27 wickets at an average of 11, including three of his four Test five-fors: six for 70 and five for 32 against Pakistan in 2016, and six for 17 against Ireland in 2019. Against Australia later that 2019 summer, Woakes got Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith out at Lord’s. 

Woakes, who bowls at around 82mph, also enjoys batting at Lord’s, the scene of his only Test century — 137 not out against India in 2018. In all, he has scored 306 runs there at 61.

Woakes’ inclusion would extend England’s batting depth and the stats say he should play

Mitchell Starc’s left-arm angle and extra pace offer Australia something different, and when the ball is swinging he is dangerous. Of his 310 Test wickets, 25 per cent have been bowled and 14 per cent lbw — reflecting his fuller length.

And while Starc can be expensive, there is a trade-off. His three Ashes five-fors came when he conceded between four and five an over, against a career average of 3.32.

A Test batting average of nearly 22 almost drags him into the all-rounder bracket, too.

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