Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that fast bowler Mark Wood is more crucial than Ben Stokes on flat pitches. Vaughan noted that Wood's absence from the final two Tests against Sri Lanka is a significant setback. Wood suffered a right thigh muscle strain in the series opener at Old Trafford, ruling him out for the remainder of the series. England won the match by five wickets on Saturday. On day three, he left the field after bowling just two deliveries in his 11th over in Sri Lanka's second innings and did not bowl again on day four.
Michael Vaughan ranks Mark Wood higher than Ben Stokes
“When you get on a flat pitch, Mark Wood is the most important player for England's Test match team. Yes, even more than Ben Stokes. Wood is that good - and his injury that rules him out of the rest of the series against Sri Lanka is a blow. Stokes is a colossus. Talismanic, an incredible leader, a brilliant player. But I just can't see how England can replace Wood. He's just got something very special about him," wrote Vaughan in his column for The Telegraph.
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Vaughan cited Sri Lanka's second innings on day four as an example of how England would miss Wood. With Wood unable to bowl, Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal batted through the morning session, setting England a challenging target of 205, which they eventually achieved with five wickets remaining.
"How much England miss him was evident on the fourth morning with that fantastic partnership from Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis when the pitch got flat and it became much easier for batting. We might get a lot of those conditions in the next year or so - definitely in Pakistan, and maybe a bit in New Zealand too. England need to find a way to take 20 wickets on wickets like that," he added.
Vaughan elaborated on what sets Wood apart from other England fast bowlers.
"The point of difference that Wood brings is so important. England have got to wrap him in cotton wool to try and get him available for 60 or 70 per cent of Tests in the next year. Realistically, having Wood available that much would be a great outcome for England. A bowler like him is never going to be able to play every single game," former England skipper stated.
"Wood is now the most important cog in this England Test match wheel for them to go and beat India, for them to go and win in Australia. He's the player that opponents would most like to see not in the England side," he further added.
Vaughan also said that England exercise extreme caution regarding Wood's fitness in the coming weeks. He believes it is essential to ensure Wood is in peak condition for the following year, aiming for availability in approximately 60 to 70 per cent of Test matches. Vaughan believes that if England can maintain Wood's fitness, they have the potential to achieve significant success in the Test format.
"Even Jofra Archer, who is fantastic, doesn't bowl 95mph. This is a guy that is doing something that we've never seen in English cricket. There's not many around the world that bowled at Wood's pace with that amount of ferocity. Every time he's come on to bowl this summer, he's made something happen."
"He is not only obviously brilliant for the team, he's brilliant for the game. We used to talk about Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff and Stokes, how they'd get spectators out the bar to go and watch. Well, get out of the bar and make sure you're there watching Mark Wood. He is that bowler. A bowler like that doesn't just give a team a great point of difference. It also sends a shudder to the opponents' dressing room," he concluded.
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