Mark Wood likely to miss at least 3 Tests in India due to Dubai Capitals contract - Reports
England speedster Mark Wood risks missing at least three Tests next year during the tour of India, as reported by The Telegraph. The Durham speedster has signed a contract with the Dubai Capitals ahead of the second edition of the International League T20, starting on January 13th in 2024.
The marquee five-Test series in India begins on January 25th and will continue till 12th March. By contrast, the T20 tournament in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be announced in due course; however, it is likely to co-incide with at least the first three Tests of the series.
Wood, who is yet to play a Test on Indian soil, has emerged as one of the biggest match-winners in recent times. The 33-year-old played an integral role in England's 3-0 series sweep in Pakistan last year, bagging 8 wickets in 2 Tests at 20.38 apiece.
Mark Wood sparked England's comeback in the 2023 Ashes series
Wood's inclusion in the 3rd Ashes Test at Headingley in Leeds indeed made England's bowling attack a lot better. The right-arm paceman bowled relentlessly in all 3 remaining matches and took 14 scalps at 20.21.
His pace, which was the point of difference in the Ashes series against Australia, could also be the same in India. Nevertheless, as an injury-prone bowler, England will be nervous about his participation in the IL20 next year.
The English team, captained by Joe Root, suffered a crushing 3-1 loss in the Test series in India in 2021 after winning the opening match comprehensively. All-rounder Ben Stokes, who succeeded Root as captain last year, would hope to make the tourists far more competitive on this occasion.
Mark Wood is already associated with the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), which shelled out INR 7.5 crores in IPL 2022 for the speedster. While the Durham player has only featured in only 4 matches for LSG so far, he has bagged 11 wickets, including a fifer against the Delhi Capitals.