"Wonder what the scars he's done in this innings" - Michael Vaughan on Mark Wood's fiery spell on Day 1 of the third Ashes Test
Former England captain Micheal Vaughan reflected upon the impact of Mark Wood's scorching spell of fast bowling that rattled the Australian batters on Day 1 of the third Ashes Test at Headingley on Thursday, July 7.
Wood, who has not featured in a single Test for England this year, was finally drafted into the playing XI and made an immediate impact. The speedster took a brilliant five-wicket-haul, bowling with express pace and deadly accuracy, to finish with figures of 5/34 to help bowl out the Aussies for 263 in their first innings.
Speaking to Cricbuzz at the close of play on Day 1, Vaughan wondered how much of an impact Wood might have on the Aussies moving forward with his intimidating pace.
"Wonder what the scars he's done in this innings going into the next innings," he said. "Because quick bowling, it can offer scars going forward. Batters don't want to be facing it and It's how Mark Wood recovers now."
The former Ashes-winning captain also credited the Durham pacer for disrupting the clarity of even someone like Usman Khawaja, who has looked the most assured Aussie batter thus far in the series.
"Generally batters don't like mystery spin and also pace. It doesn't matter if you bat down the bottom or at the top of the order. Saw the ball he got Khawaja and Khawaja has been the rock, played with so much clarity , so much time throughout this series yet Mark Wood does him for pace. He does Cummins for pace later on, hits Carey on the head and gets him out next ball," added Vaughan.
Mark Wood's figures are simply exceptional! 🙌
#MarkWood #Fifer #ENGvAUS #Ashes https://t.co/YRBPQE6NmX
Since making his Test debut in 2015, Wood has only played 28 matches for England. The speedster has picked up 90 wickets at a passable average of 30.88, with 27 scalps coming against the Australians.
The 33-year-old had arguably his best season a year ago, scalping 21 wickets at an average of 23.85 in five games.
"The batters have to do the job to give Wood rest" - Micheal Vaughan
Micheal Vaughan insisted that the English batters should bat the majority, if not the entirety, of Day 2 to provide Mark Wood enough rest and recovery time for his bowling stint in the second innings.
The express pacer sent down several thunderbolts in a sensational spell of fast bowling, including the fastest-ever over at Headingley in his first six deliveries, with speeds well above 90 MPH.
"This is why I look at England's batting now and the batters have to do the job to give Wood rest. If Mark Wood is back out there tomorrow afternoon having to bowl , then you can't expect someone to continuously bowl at 90 MPH when he's had one night's rest," said Vaughan.
Raw pace unleashed! 💥
#MarkWood #ENGvAUS #Ashes #TheAshes https://t.co/d7YsVHsTAi
Vaughan credited the not-out batters, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, for putting Bazball to rest at the fag end of the day and negotiating the bowling till stumps.
"They've got to give him more rest so it's now down to the batters. Actually thought the Bazball way kind of went to sleep in the last half hour and England played for stumps. Jonny (Bairstow) and Joe (Root) knew that they had to play for stumps," added Vaughan.
After bowling out the Aussies for 263, the hosts were stuttering at 63-3 before Root and Bairstow negotiated the final 33 deliveries of the day safely without further damage.
At Stumps on Day 1, England find themselves 68-3, still 195 runs behind the visitors' first innings total.