The English brilliance shined again in the longest format of cricket. In the recently ended three-match Test series against West Indies, England showcased their domination and whitewashed the opponent. In the last match, England registered a massive victory and Mark Wood played a crucial role in it. After the win, England skipper Ben Stokes hailed the ace bowler for his incredible dominance.
Mark Woodd Brilliance in the Third Test Match:
After winning the first two matches of the series, England came into this match with huge confidence. Since the beginning of the game, England has been dominating. West Indies was all out in 282 runs in the first innings, the England bowlers played a crucial role. Gus Atkinson registered a spectacular four-wicket haul. In the first innings, Mark Wood conceded 52 runs and secured 2 wickets with an economy rate of 3.25.
But in the second innings, Wood conquered with his extraordinary ability. He conceded just 40 runs in 14 overs and registered an outstanding fifer. That was a turning point of the match. That brilliance shattered the base of West Indies’s batting lineup. That helped England to secure the victory early.
Captain’s Praise for Him:
After the match, England captain Ben Stokes praised Mark Wood for his outstanding performance. Wood was named Player of the Match for his remarkable bowling across both innings at Edgbaston. Stokes highlighted Wood’s crucial role and skillful play, which significantly contributed to the team’s success.
Stokes said, “The rewards that he [Wood] got I think was later than he actually deserved to get them. The effort that he always puts in when he wears his England shirt is just phenomenal. He’s got the heart of a lion and that little sort of 45 minutes or an hour period when he had the ball is exactly what you want as a captain.”
Later he added, “Fast, extremely skilful, and he really blew the game open there for us… he was just phenomenal. It felt like he was going to take a wicket every ball. Obviously, when the balls reverse swinging at 93mph, it’s definitely going to be a lot harder. He’s very, very important. The skill that he possesses, the X factor he has, every team wants one of those and he showed why it’s so important today.”
Wood on His Performance:
When Mark Wood received the Player of the Match award, he admitted he was disappointed with his performance after the first session. However, James Anderson, England’s new bowling mentor for the summer, helped Wood gain a clearer perspective and improve his game.
Wood said, “Speaking to the management at lunchtime, I was pretty down on myself and frustrated, but Jimmy [Anderson] gave me a great chat, telling me to focus on the skill side of things and moving the ball, rather than the outcome, and I really feel like that is what I tried to do.”
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