England have suffered a serious blow forward of the second Take a look at of Ashes 2025-26 as quick bowler Mark Wooden is prone to be dominated out of the fixture, in accordance with a BBC report. Wooden reported soreness in his troublesome left knee that earlier required surgical procedure in March and brought on him to overlook England’s house sequence in opposition to Zimbabwe and India.
The primary Ashes Take a look at in Perth marked Wooden’s first aggressive look for the reason that Champions Trophy in February. The 35-year-old bowled 11 overs within the match as England had been defeated by Australia inside two days — the primary Ashes Take a look at to complete so rapidly in 104 years.
Wooden missed the crew’s first coaching session in Brisbane, and though he has one other 4 days of observe to show his health, England are anticipated to undertake a cautious strategy with their star bowler. He’s understood to have remained on the crew lodge to relaxation, whereas the remainder of the England squad took half in an elective session at Allan Border Subject.
Earlier than the Perth Take a look at, he had not performed a Take a look at match for 15 months, initially on account of an elbow subject, adopted by surgical procedure on his left knee. In his on-field comeback forward of the primary Take a look at, throughout an Ashes warm-up match in opposition to the England Lions, Wooden bowled eight overs earlier than experiencing tightness in his left hamstring. Scans later confirmed no injury, and he was cleared to play in Perth, the place he completed with match figures of 0–44.
Wooden’s availability allowed England to lastly put into motion their long-standing plan to unleash excessive tempo in opposition to Australia on this Ashes sequence. In his absence, Josh Tongue is the almost certainly candidate to be part of England’s taking part in XI for the second Take a look at, which shall be a day-night fixture on the Gabba, Brisbane beginning on November 4.
Tongue has been despatched to play for England Lions within the pink-ball warm-up fixture in opposition to the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra alongside fellow seamer Matthew Potts and batter Jacob Bethell. Wooden’s absence shall be felt by England within the pink-ball Take a look at on the Gabba, the place they haven’t received since 1986.
The 35-year-old was the star of the present throughout England’s final day evening Take a look at in 2022 performed in Hobart, registering figures of 9/152 within the match. England even have a poor document in pink-ball Assessments, having received solely two of their earlier seven, together with three defeats in Australia.
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