England are gearing up to unleash a fierce pace attack in the Ashes series opener this Friday in Perth, following the clearance of Mark Wood to play. Wood, freshly back from elbow and knee surgery and a recent minor hamstring issue, has been included in the 12-man squad as England’s quickest bowler, surrounded by four other seamers: Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson, and captain Ben Stokes.
Although spinner Shoaib Bashir has been added as a contingency should conditions favor spin, all indications suggest England will bank on their seamers’ raw speed. Wood’s inclusion is a calculated risk given his injury history, but his proven ability to bowl at over 97mph and his strong record against Australia—improving his average to 27.48 against the hosts—make him a key asset.
Wood showed glimpses of his form with a brief net session and pitch inspection on Wednesday. Meanwhile, much of the spotlight is on the exciting prospect of Wood pairing with Archer, a combination only once before seen in Test cricket. However, Gus Atkinson, making his Ashes debut, quietly prepares to make his mark without much fanfare.
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Atkinson, a soft-spoken Surrey bowler with an impressive 63 wickets at 22.07 in just 13 matches, including a recent hat-trick against New Zealand and eight wickets in a match against India, is content to remain under the radar. “Jofra and Woody are amazing bowlers and they’ll be huge for us this series,” Atkinson said modestly. He’s excited by the prospect of seam movement, which he feels can be as effective as sheer pace in Australian conditions.
Acknowledging the enormity of the challenge, Atkinson says this series is the biggest test of his international career. “Growing up, you always watch the Ashes, so to be here in Australia feels surreal,” he added. Many in England’s 16-man squad face their first Ashes experience, a positive factor as they carry no heavy memories of past defeats.
England are determined to end their recent poor run in Australia, where they have failed to win any matches on the last three tours. With a blend of experienced campaigners like Joe Root and Ben Stokes alongside fresh faces like Atkinson, the team hopes to rewrite their fortunes Down Under.
England squad: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Smith (wkt), Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir.