Both England and Australia have experienced highs and lows throughout the Ashes in 2023. Australia‘s impressive victory in the first two Tests of the series dealt the hosts an early blow. The third Test at Headingley did provide England with one victory, though. The superb bowling of pacer Mark Wood allowed England to win their first match of the Ashes in 2023 and claim a triumph.
The excellent wicket he took in the first innings and the subsequent two he took in the second helped England restrict their opponents to a manageable total, which they were finally able to chase down, earning him the Player of the Match title. Ricky Ponting, a former captain of Australia, was impressed with Mark Wood outstanding performance. Ponting gave the 33-year-old high praise and even made comparisons to some of his former renowned colleagues.
“I believe that Wood is similar to both Johnson and Brett Lee in his prime in that he bowls first change, bowls rapidly, intimidates batsmen, and occasionally generates movement. Ricky Ponting commented on the ICC evaluation, “He is just an amazing, striking weapon.
If he maintains his pace at that mid-90 mph level, he will face the following challenge: Ricky Ponting
Additionally, Ricky Ponting suggested that England utilize Mark Wood to intimidate the young batsmen, adding that the 33-year-old would be most effective when bowling short, ferocious bursts. He added that one of the major difficulties England will face is maintaining consistency with his fitness and pace.
“I think the biggest challenge is getting him through the next couple of games,” the Australian legend added. “I know he said after Headingley that he got through, I think, three Test matches in a row in Australia in the last Ashes series and did it okay.”
He continued, “Because they’re like those people you know, he’s not particularly tall, he’s fairly skiddy, and when they’re not at their absolute top pace-wise they can be quite simple to confront. The difficulty for him would be maintaining his pace at around 90 miles per hour, Ponting said.
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