"Mark Wood was a revelation at Headingley. He had the Aussies rattled" - Michael Vaughan showers praise on the English speedster
Former England captain Michael Vaughan praised the impact that Mark Wood had on the third Ashes Test at Headingley, Leeds. The speedster picked up seven wickets and scored useful runs down the order and was adjudged as the player of match following England's three-wicket win.
Mark Wood and Chris Woakes made their way into the playing XI at the expense of James Anderson and Josh Tongue after the 43-run defeat at Lord's. Wood made lives difficult for the Australian batters in the first innings with his sheer pace that resulted in one of the fastest overs in cricket history.
Lauding Mark Wood's performance on his return from injury, Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph:
"Mark Wood was a revelation at Headingley. He had the Aussies rattled — not just the tail, who he blew away, but also the top order. We saw that from the moment that he clean bowled Usman Khawaja for pace on the first day. What a brilliant performance on his return."
Vaughan also reserved praise for the other pacers that played a role in England's win. He wrote:
"Chris Woakes has shown once again what a good a cricketer he is in English conditions. We talk about the all round brilliance from Stokes — but Woakes, with his under-the-radar approach, is always someone you want with the Dukes ball. He always delivers here in England."
"Stuart Broad has been exceptional all series. I don’t think any of us thought he’d play all five Tests this series, but Broad just seems to be getting better and better — and he is keeping that hold over David Warner. I think he should play at Old Trafford. I don’t want to hear about him being rested."
Ollie Robinson struggled with injury, which meant that he could not bowl in the second innings. England played with five bowlers, including spinner Moeen Ali, since Stokes was not fit enough to bowl after his heroics at Lord's.
"Don’t just pick Jimmy Anderson just because it’s Jimmy Anderson at the Jimmy Anderson End" - Michael Vaughan
England made the huge call to axe James Anderson after a bleak set of outings across the first two Ashes Tests. The upcoming fourth Test is set to take place in the veteran pacer's home ground of Old Trafford in Lancashire.
Opining that England do not need to necessarily bring Anderson back into playing XI due to sentimental reasons, Vaughan wrote:
"I’d play Wood, Woakes and Broad at Old Trafford. If Ollie Robinson isn’t fit, that leaves a big decision about the last seamer. Don’t just pick Jimmy Anderson just because it’s Jimmy Anderson at the Jimmy Anderson End. You can’t be sentimental in an Ashes series."
Suggesting a bowling attack with both Josh Tongue and Mark Wood for the fourth Test, Vaughan concluded:
"England should only pick Anderson if they genuinely believe he’s a bigger threat than Josh Tongue, who bowled really well at Lord’s. With Tongue and Wood together, England could also go even further in their short-ball approach."
Following the three-wicket win at Headingley, Leeds, England stayed alive in the series with a 2-1 scoreline with two matches remaining.
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