England’s Wood comments on pink-ball use before third India Test
England fast-bowler Mark Wood said that their pace-bowling unit cannot wait to bowl with the pink-ball ahead of their day-night third Test against India in Ahmedabad.
With the four-match series level at 1-1, the teams will play their first floodlit Test against each other in next week’s inaugural match at Ahmedabad’s new 110,000-capacity Sardar Patel Motera Stadium.
Floodlit fixtures are renowned for assisting quick bowlers, with India’s pacemen taking all 20 Bangladesh wickets to fall in their only previous day-night home Test, against Bangladesh in Kolkata 14 months ago.
And Wood said England’s seamers had been excited by their early experience with the pink ball that will be in use next week.
“We’ve been bowling with them in the nets — they have swung quite a bit and they’ve lasted longer, which was interesting to see,” Wood told a conference call. “With the ball, as soon as it moves, every one of the bowlers from the past couple of months is dying to get it in their hand.”
England have the bowlers to exploit floodlit conditions even if Wood, back with the squad after being rested for the first half of the series, does not play.
They could deploy both James Anderson and Stuart Broad, rather than field one or other of England’s two all-time leading wicket-takers as has been the case in recent Tests.
Jofra Archer is another option if fit following the elbow injury that ruled the fast bowler out of England’s 317-run loss in the second Test in Chennai, while Olly Stone, who performed creditably in that match, and Chris Woakes are also in the squad.
“As soon as the ball moves we know how good our seam bowlers can be,” said Wood.
“We’ve got good depth there, good skills and two of the best ever (Anderson and Broad),” added the 31-year-old Durham quick.
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