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England pacer Mark Wood has cast serious doubt over his participation in the third Ashes Test, admitting that the physical demands of sustained high-speed bowling are becoming increasingly difficult for him to manage.
The 35-year-old returned to Test cricket in the series opener at Perth after a 15-month absence following left knee surgery that cut short his Champions Trophy campaign earlier this year.
While the comeback marked a significant milestone, the fast bowler endured a frustrating outing, bowling 11 wicketless overs before experiencing renewed knee discomfort.
Since arriving in Brisbane, Wood has been wearing a knee brace and confirmed that ongoing pain has complicated his recovery process.
Speaking during the tea interval on day two of the second Test at the Gabba, the right-armer indicated that the upcoming Adelaide Test, scheduled to begin on December 17, may come too soon.
“I think there’s a chance there, but more realistically, it’s probably more Melbourne and then [Sydney] after that… I need to get out of this [brace] first to get moving around,” Wood said.
He also revealed that he has been relying on painkilling injections since the opening Test and acknowledged that age has started to influence how well his body recovers from the rigours of international cricket.
“Throughout my career, I’ve tried to show resilience and keep coming back and keep trying to push it where I can bowl faster and faster, but I’m getting older now,” he added.
“I don’t know if my body’s coping as well as it used to, but I’ll keep trying. That’s something I pride myself on—to keep running in for the team and be a good team man. I’m hoping I can get this right and charge in again.”
Despite the setbacks, Mark Wood stressed that his competitive drive remains intact.
According to the pace bowler, the mental battle of rehabilitation has been tougher than the physical aspect, as he works through a slow, step-by-step return to full fitness.
“I’m trying to just get through day-to-day at the moment. Later in the series is what I’m aiming for, but I can’t do that much at the moment,” he added.
“I’ve had a couple of injections, resting up, and slowly but surely, running will start soon, then back into bowling.
“It’s more mentally difficult than physically. You’ve got to try and build it back up and come back again, and that’s probably the more difficult thing.”
