England fast bowler Mark Wood admitted that his side faces a formidable challenge in the upcoming five-match Ashes series against Australia, labelling the hosts as the “favourites”, though he remains confident that his team are capable of coming out on top.
It has been a decade since England last won the Ashes, and 15 years since they last claimed the urn Down Under. They have endured three more one-sided tours since then. According to Wood, the series opener in Perth will set the tone for the rest of the series.
“The Australian side are very hard to beat in their own conditions. They’ve shown that for a number of years; we haven’t managed to win many games here at all. I think that first game’s a huge one,” he said. “As any bowling group knows, those first couple of wickets are vitally important. If we can get off to a good start, then we can try to put some pressure on. Australia are obviously the favourites going into the series, but I think there’s a quiet confidence within our group that we can do well here.”
The Ben Stokes-led England side will be looking to reclaim the urn against an ageing Australian team. Wood has not played a Test for 15 months and has not featured in competitive cricket since the Champions Trophy in February, due to a knee injury sustained during the tournament. Despite being injury-prone, Wood remains a vital part of England’s bowling plans. In the last Ashes series Down Under, he made an impact with his express pace on bouncy tracks.
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