Watch: Chris Woakes and Mark Wood steaming in at the nets ahead of the Oval Test against India
England pace bowlers Chris Woakes and Mark Wood were in full flow at the nets before the fourth Test against India. At least one of them looks on track to play on Thursday as England eye an unassailable lead in the five-match series. The Three Lions won the Leeds test convincingly.
Renowned Cricinfo journalist George Dobell posted two brief clips on Twitter of Chris Woakes and Mark Wood steaming in. Both Wood and Woakes bowled to Jonny Bairstow and the latter beat the keeper-batsman with a beautiful delivery.
Mark Wood played the second Test at Lord's. However, he injured his shoulder in that game while fielding. The injury forced him out of the third match as Craig Overton took his spot and delivered a compelling performance. Overton took three wickets each in both innings in the hosts' innings and a 76-run win.
Woakes, meanwhile, is in contention for the first time in the series. A heel injury kept him out of the first three Tests. However, the 32-year old returned to action in the T20 Blast game for the Birmingham Bears.
England likely to rest James Anderson or Ollie Robinson for the fourth Test
Meanwhile, the home side could rotate their settled pace department by resting one of their new-ball bowlers. James Anderson and Ollie Robinson have been wreckers-in-chief thus far. The right-arm seam bowlers have shared 29 wickets between them.
Notably, Robinson, with 16 scalps, is also the highest wicket-taker and has two fifers. However, Wood and Woakes are equally threatening prospects. With both of them having fresh legs, their chances of succeeding are rather high at the Oval test.
Wood ended up with five wickets in the second Test and kept bowling at a fearsome pace. In contrast, Woakes has an impressive record in Tests at home, taking 87 wickets in 35 matches at 22.87.
He played two Tests when India toured England in 2018 and took eight wickets. Additionally, Woakes struck an unbeaten hundred at Lord's under challenging batting conditions.