'Mark Wood is Like…': Ricky Ponting Compares England Pacer to Famed Australian 

England pacer Mark Wood | Source: Twitter 

Australia made a strong start in the 2023 Ashes series, winning the first two matches and pushing England on the backfoot. However, England bounced back in the third Test at Headingley, emerging victorious and preventing Australia from securing an unassailable lead in the five-match series.

The stellar bowling performance of Mark Wood and Chris Woakes, who made their first appearance in the series, was instrumental in England's victory in the third Test. While Mark Wood picked seven wickets across two innings, Woakes had six scalps to his name. 

Wood's match-winning performance didn't go unnoticed as he garnered the appreciation of several cricketers. Joining the list of admirers is former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who showered accolades on Wood and even went as far as comparing him to one of his former teammates. 

Here’s what Ricky Ponting said on the ICC review: 

“(Wood) is a bit like him (Johnson) and a bit like Brett Lee in his prime, I reckon as well, bowling first change, bowling quickly, intimidating batsmen, getting a little bit of movement when it was there. He is just an absolute strike weapon.”

There is no denying that Mark Wood has a history of being injury prone and frequently succumbs to injuries. Hence, England management has always been cautious in managing his workload. 

Weighing in on the same, Ricky Ponting emphasized the need for the hosts to utilize Mark Wood wisely in the remaining matches of the Ashes Test series, which he believes is going to be a big challenge for England. 

"I think the biggest challenge is getting him through the next couple of games, I know he said after Headingley that he got through I think three Test matches in a row in Australia in the last Ashes series and did it ok.” 

"Because they're like those guys that you know he's not overly tall, he's quite skiddy and when they're not at their absolute top pace-wise they can be quite easy to face," he added. The challenge for him is going to be if he keeps his pace at that sort of mid-90 miles an hour.” 

With a 2-1 lead, Australia is currently in the driver's seat in the five-match Test series. The upcoming fourth match, scheduled for July 19 at Old Trafford, holds great significance for both teams. A victory for Australia in this game would allow them to retain the Ashes urn, while England must give their all to win and level the series at 2-2. 

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