James Anderson played in the first two Ashes Tests but failed to make an impact. The veteran picked only three wickets in the two matches. England lost both matches and were left with no other option but to win all three remaining Tests to reclaim the Ashes. For the third Test, England decided to give Anderson a breather and they brought in Mark Wood. The move paid dividends as the home side won the match by three wickets.
The Ashington-born Wood was always going to pose a tricky challenge for the Aussie batters with his exceptional pace. The seamer proved his worth in quick time as he finished with figures of 5/34 in the first innings. In the second innings, he picked up a couple of wickets to wipe out the tail. Wood is not only known for his pace but also for his witty remarks during interviews. Anderson praised the fellow pacer for his jovial nature that helps the dressing room stay in good spirits and also appreciated his love for bowling fast.
“It was brilliant to see Mark Wood bowl so well. We love him in the dressing room. He brings so much energy to the group. He is just non-stop chatting and being silly, trying to make people laugh,” the 40-year-old wrote in his column for The Telegraph.
“He loves bowling fast. He reminds me of Darren Gough in that he likes a glance up at the scoreboard to see if they have put his pace up after he has bowled a ball. He just wants to bowl quickly. He was born to bowl quickly,” added Anderson.
James Anderson explains the importance of Mark Wood’s cameos with the bat
Wood didn’t only impress with the ball but he scored some vital runs in both innings with the bat. In the first innings, his 8-ball 24 helped England reach closer to Australia’s total of 263. The 33-year-old followed it up with a fearless 8-ball 16 in the second innings to take England home. James Anderson applauded Wood’s exploits with the bat.
“His bowling helped his batting too. That 24 off eight balls made a real difference in that moment of the game. It was almost like a T20 impact. He did the same in the second innings. When bowlers go short like that and you need only 20 runs you know that even a top edge is going to go for six and make a big dent in the target. That is what he did,” Anderson wrote.