England’s lead quick Mark Wood has not ruled out making a return in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy as he continues his recovery from a knee surgery earlier this year. The 35-year-old fast bowler sustained medial ligament damage to his left knee during the Champions Trophy and subsequently underwent surgery in March.
With a four-month recovery timeline, he was initially expected to miss the entire five-match series against India, which began at Headingley on Friday.
However, Wood has now indicated he could be available for the final Test at The Oval, starting July 31. He is expected to make his competitive return for Durham in their County Championship match against Somerset on July 22, a round where the Kookaburra ball will be used.
“Rehab is going well. I’ve just started bowling very lightly, so I’m on the comeback trail now officially,” Wood was quoted as saying by BBC Test Match Special.
“I’m hoping still to play a part in this series, so I get to have a look at some of the players here who I might come up against. I’m still targeting probably the last Test. Anything before that is maybe a bit too soon. The last Test, I might not get there, but at the minute that’s still my focus that I might play a part.
“It’s been a bit slow [coming back] to start with. I haven’t been able to do a lot, but starting to speed up now, getting some bowling in, hopefully not too much longer. [I am] still hoping that I can play a part right at the end of the series, but I’ll just wait and see,” he hoped.
England are expected to manage Wood’s return cautiously, especially with an Ashes tour on the horizon and a depleted pace attack. Olly Stone has been ruled out of the entire season with a knee issue, while Gus Atkinson missed the first Test due to a hamstring strain suffered during the Zimbabwe series.
Jofra Archer’s recovery is another positive for England, with the pacer potentially returning for the second Test against India at Edgbaston starting July 2. Archer, who has been battling recurring back and elbow issues, is expected to play for Sussex against Durham this weekend in what could be a red-ball return after over three years. His last appearance in first-class cricket came in May 2021.