How Wood turned Ashes to prove biggest Aussie obstacle

Before Mark Wood made his entrance into this Ashes series earlier this month, it appeared as though nothing could ruffle Usman Khawaja. A converted opener who had struggled on previous Ashes tours, Khawaja, through composure and experience, looked to have England's measure.

By the time he had deftly seen off England's new-ball bowlers after his side had been inserted at Headingley earlier this month, Khawaja was averaging more than 75 in the series.

Up until the point he first encountered Wood, the veteran left-hander had faced more than double the number of balls (806) than the next most obdurate batter of the series (Ben Stokes with 346 balls) to help his side to dual victories at Edgbaston and Lord’s.

Another big score looked in the offing.

It took Wood just a solitary over to change everything.

After five rapid deliveries to Khawaja, all clocked at above 145kph, the sixth blew his leg-stump out of the ground.

It was a telling encounter. Not only was Wood's searing in-swinger to Australia's best batter to that stage of the tour a massive statement amid one of the fastest ever Ashes spells on UK soil, it was also the catalyst for a seismic shift in the series' momentum.

As Pat Cummins' men head into the final Test at The Oval this week, Wood shapes as the biggest obstacle to becoming the first Australian team to clinch an Ashes series victory abroad in 22 years.

Coach Andrew McDonald denied they are "searching for answers" against a bowler who again decimated their top-order at Old Trafford, but conceded they need to be "better for longer" against him.

After beginning the series with scores of 141, 65, 17 and 77 against a Wood-less attack, Khawaja has since passed 20 just once. Australia’s results have of course suffered too, losing at Headingley before being fortunate the rain saved them at Old Trafford.

But it isn’t just Khawaja. Steve Smith, Australia's other century-maker from the first two Tests, was out to Wood twice at Old Trafford. Pat Cummins, whose runs at Edgbaston were the difference in Australia's tense victory, has made scores of 0, 1 and 1 in three innings since Wood's introduction, twice being dismissed by him.

Australia are averaging 35.87 per wicket against England teams without Wood in this series and 26.97 per wicket against England teams with him.

Including the last Test of the 2021-22 Ashes in which Wood was the visitors’ best bowler, the right-armer has taken 20 wickets at 16.95 in his last three Tests against Australia.

Wood has shown supreme skills in getting the ball to shift in the air at high pace, as he did with his stunning ball to Khawaja. But his use of the short ball – in a series that has seen plenty – has given Stokes an invaluable new weapon.

With negligible movement on offer in Australia's second innings at Old Trafford, Wood dismissed both Smith and Travis Head with short deliveries.

His speed was clearly a major factor in the exit of the pair who have been peppered by him. Of the 75 deliveries he has bowled to Smith and Head, only 10 have not been bouncers or back-of-a-length deliveries (per Opta).

"He's been so impressive," said captain Ben Stokes before both teams departed Manchester for London. "Having someone who has the ability that he has with the ball to bowl as fast as he does is obviously a massive weapon for any team to have.

"You see the impact he had at Headingley with his five wickets, and even here the spell where he got Smith and Travis (Head) out was a massive game-changer, two massive players for Australia in the middle-order.

"Having that X-factor is obviously a huge thing to have as a captain, where things are looking a bit dry and you're wondering, 'where am I going to get a wicket from', you can throw the ball to Woody and you just feel like he's going to create a chance."

As Stokes points out, Wood's raw pace has also had a knock-on effect to make his fellow bowlers more potent.

Not only has he taken 11 wickets of his own in two matches in this series, 10 of Australia's wickets in Leeds and Manchester have fallen in an over immediately after one bowled by Wood. It happened a staggering five times in Australia's first innings of the fourth Test alone.

Chris Woakes, in addition to having his finest Ashes campaign with the ball in his own right, has been a benefactor. He and Wood have bowled less than half of England's overs since the pair's introduction for the third Test but have taken almost two-thirds of their wickets.

"You shouldn't underestimate when Woody's bowling as fast as he does that actually the pressure's always on batsmen when they're facing bowlers at the other end as well," said Stokes.

What has heartened Australia as they head into their final encounter with Wood this week was the ability of two of their key players to negate him in their second innings in Manchester.

Marnus Labuschagne and Mitch Marsh, the only two Australians who have faced at least 30 balls from Wood and are yet to be dismissed by him, overcame multiple hostile spells from Wood, while Marsh took him on at Headingley in one of the most electrifying passages of the series. 

"I think we know what we need to do. It's method within moments and I felt as though Marnus and Mitch Marsh showed a bit of a blueprint to that," McDonald said of that pair's second-innings union in the fourth Test.

"The way that they were able to combat (it with) decision making on the short ball, they had to shift their plans at times.

"So can we be better for longer in those spaces? There's no doubt about that. But we feel as though we've got a plan to combat that."

Having not played any first-class cricket in six months leading into this series, Wood's chances of playing multiple Tests on the trot was always a shaky prospect.

The 33-year-old himself has been bullish on his ability to back after an elbow concern meant he was kept on ice for the first two Tests, having previously pointed out he played four out of the five Tests during the ‘21-22 Ashes.

"When someone puts their body through what Woody does every single time Woody bowls a ball, it's quite obvious why these people get injuries," said Stokes.

"If he's 80, 85 per cent fit next week he'll still be chomping at the bit to get a game."

2023 Qantas Ashes Tour of the UK

First Test: Australia won by two wickets

Second Test: Australia won by 43 runs

Third Test: England won by three wickets

Fourth Test: Match Drawn (Australia retain the Ashes)

Fifth Test: Thursday July 27-Monday 31, The Oval

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson (wk), Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood