England's pace spearhead Mark Wood has expressed optimism about potentially returning to the England XI for the fifth Test match against India. Wood is currently in the recovery phase following a knee surgery he underwent in March of this year. The surgery had initially sidelined Wood for the entirety of the English summer season. However, just recently, he conveyed his hopeful outlook for an earlier comeback. With the fifth Test scheduled to take place at the Oval starting on July 31, his participation in that match could significantly increase his chances of being selected for the Ashes series in Australia later in the year. The 35-year-old pacer had previously sustained medial ligament damage in his left knee during the Champions Trophy earlier this year, which necessitated the surgery in March. Following the operation, the initial prognosis indicated a four-month recovery period, seemingly ruling him out of the five-Test series against Shubman Gill's India, which got underway at Headingley on June 21.
Mark Wood hopeful of playing fifth Test against India
Despite the initial timeline, Wood is now aiming to make his return in the final Test match at the Oval. Before that crucial match, he is anticipated to gain some match fitness by playing in a County Championship game for Durham in an away fixture against Somerset.
"Rehab is going well. I've just started bowling very lightly, so I'm on the comeback trail now officially. I'm hoping still to play a part in this series, so I get to have a look at some of the players here who I might come up against. I'm still targeting probably the last Test. Anything before that is maybe a bit too soon. The last Test, I might not get there, but at the minute, that's still my focus — that I might play a part," ," Wood told BBC Test Match Special.
"It's been a bit slow [coming back] to start with. I haven't been able to do a lot, but it's starting to speed up now, getting some bowling in. Hopefully not too much longer. [I am] still hoping that I can play a part right at the end of the series, but I'll just wait and see," he added.
England's management will likely be cautious about rushing Mark Wood back into the Test squad, especially with the Ashes tour of Australia approaching. Their pace bowling options have already been significantly affected by injuries. Olly Stone has been ruled out for the entire Test season due to his own knee injury, while Gus Atkinson was unavailable for the first Test against India after sustaining a hamstring strain during the series against Zimbabwe. Adding to their injury concerns, Jofra Archer has also been recovering. However, there is optimism within the England management that Archer might be fit and available for selection for the second Test match against India, which is scheduled to begin in Birmingham on July 2.