Mark Wood: England bowler out of third Test with shoulder injury

England bowler Mark Wood has been ruled out of the third Test against India because of a shoulder injury.

The 31-year-old jarred his right shoulder while fielding on the fourth day of the second Test at Lord’s.

No replacement has been called up for the Test at Headingley, with Saqib Mahmood and Craig Overton already in the squad as back-up seamers.

“It is frustrating for Mark and for us as a side – he gives us a real point of difference,” captain Joe Root said.

The third Test of the five-match series – which India lead 1-0 – begins on Wednesday in Leeds.

Wood will remain with England to continue his rehab and will be assessed at the end of the Test.

He is the latest player on England’s injury list alongside Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer, Olly Stone and Chris Woakes.

Archer will miss the remainder of the year because of a long-term elbow injury while Stone has been ruled out for the season with a stress fracture.

“I really feel for all three of those guys,” Root said of Archer, Stone and Wood, who are all capable of bowling in excess of 90mph.

“There is no doubt that when all three of them are back and ready, they will do wonderful things for English cricket and have a big impact over a period of time.

“It is frustrating for them more than anyone else.”

Lancashire seamer Mahmood could make his Test debut, while Overton is looking to add to his four Test caps.

Mahmood has taken 14 wickets for England in seven one-day internationals and averages 26.30 with the ball in domestic four-day cricket.

“Saqib could not be in a better place to potentially play Test cricket,” Root said.

“The opportunities he has taken this year when he has been given them has been exceptional. He has been a standout bowler.”

poor final day in the second Test at Lord’s saw England fall to a 151-run defeat, having drawn the first match in the five-Test series.

They have recalled top-order batter Dawid Malan for the third Test and dropped opener Dom Sibley, who has scored just 57 runs in four innings against India.

Haseeb Hameed, who was brought into the team at Lord’s, is likely to move up to open with Rory Burns, with Malan potentially at three.

Malan, who played the last of his 15 Tests in August 2018, has scored 724 runs in the format at an average of 27.84, making his sole century in Australia in 2017.

“Dawid would obviously offer us a lot of experience. He has played a huge amount of international cricket now and dealt with pressure situations,” Root added.

“He played in a massive series in Australia and was our leading run-scorer out there.

“We know he is capable of big things in Test cricket.”

England squad for third Test

Joe Root (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood.

Source: BBC Sport

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