Mark Wood took six wickets on his return to Test action to help guide England to victory in the second Test over Pakistan, sealing the series win in the process - watch third Test vs Pakistan, in Karachi, live from Saturday (4.30am on air, 5am start)
Wednesday 14 December 2022 08:53, UK
England fast bowler Mark Wood admits he thought about walking away from Test cricket during his lengthy injury layoff earlier this year.
His decision not to step away from the game's longest format will have been celebrated by his coaches and team-mates this week as he marked his red-ball return with six wickets to help England to a 26-run victory in the second Test against Pakistan.
Wood had not featured in a Test match since March due to two elbow operations and a hip injury that would rule him out of the summer, before making it back in time to collect nine wickets during England's T20 World Cup-winning campaign in Australia, where injury also kept him out of the semi-final and final.
The second Test in Multan was his first experience of life under the leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.
"Yes. I wondered if I'd go white-ball only," said Wood after being asked if he had considered quitting Test cricket.
"At some point my body will say that it's the way to go but I didn't prepare for white-ball, I prepared for all cricket.
"I desperately wanted to experience all this, with Stokesy and Brendon, so I'm pleased I've stuck with it."
Wood took four wickets during Pakistan's second innings, including the removal of Mohammad Nawaz for 45 and Saud Shakeel for 94 in six balls to leave the hosts 291-7 and staring down the barrel of defeat.
It brought up England's first series win in Pakistan since 2000-01, following up their stunning victory in the opening Test and continuing a blossoming start to Stokes' reign as captain, for which Wood is very much an advocate.
"It's weird, the lad I grew up with," Wood said, "Stokesy now is much more mature. He speaks so well, he's always had a fantastic cricket brain. But the way he comes across, the way he conducts himself and the messages that he gives, he's just so much more rounded than when we were growing up.
"He was this alpha guy who would whack it, never back down. He's still got all that, but he's got other sides to him now. He'll put an arm round people, express what he means really articulately. I didn't think he had some of the words in his locker. But he's been world-class, to be fair."
Watch England aim to complete a series sweep of Pakistan on Sky Sports Cricket. The third and final Test, in Karachi, is live from Saturday (4.30am on air ahead of a 5am start).
