Ben Stokes and Mark Wood are expected to be “raring to go” for the start of the Ashes next month, offering England a timely boost that sits in contrast to Australia’s ongoing concerns over the fitness of Pat Cummins.
As the two seamers with prior experience of playing Test cricket in Australia, Stokes and Wood are central to England’s plans this winter. Stokes missed the fifth Test against India with a shoulder injury, however, while Wood sat out the entire summer following knee surgery back in March.
Things appear to be coming together, at least, with the pair recently training in the heated outdoor nets at Loughborough alongside their Durham team-mate, Brydon Carse. While Cummins says he is “unlikely” to be ready for the first Test Perth that starts on 21 November due his lower back stress issue, England could have a full complement of seamers at their disposal.
Carse said: “Ben is looking near enough 100% fit and so is Mark. I’ve been bowling with them. It’s exciting to see where they have got to after their setbacks during the summer. They will be raring to go come Australia time.”
As for his own knowledge of Australia, Carse was part of a successful Lions tour back in 2019/20 and conditions should not be alien. The chief difference this time – beyond the quality of opposition – will be the presence of bumper crowds and thus some possible verbals on the boundary’s edge.
“100%” replied Carse, when asked if he was ready for this. “The way I play my cricket, I wear my heart on my sleeve. I wouldn’t be expecting anything less and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
The 30-year-old has also shown himself to be pretty adept with the Kookaburra ball, claiming 27 wickets in five Tests with it last winter. After a summer that then returned nine at 60 runs apiece against India, it may be that his style of muscular heft is better suited to away tours.
“We played on some pretty batter-friendly wickets against India,” Carse added. “At times I felt I deserved more than I got. I might not have got the rewards, but I’m not looking too far into it going into the winter.
“I like bowling with the Kookaburra ball. It feels more comfortable in the hand than the Dukes. I think it’s just personal preference. Sometimes the Dukes can have quite a pronounced seam and feels quite big in your hand. The Kookaburra can be slightly smaller but slightly wider.”
While Stokes and Wood remain in the UK, Carse is part of the England white-ball squad that touched down in Queenstown, New Zealand over the weekend before the three-match T20 series gets underway in Christchurch on Saturday.
A tour that also features three ODIs against the Black Caps, it should primarily inform plans for the T20 World Cup in India next February. But as England’s final slab of international cricket before the Ashes, it is also a chance for a player such as Jacob Bethell to make a point.
“I think my game’s pretty suited to Australian conditions in terms of a bit more bounce,” said Bethell, speaking at the Toyota-sponsored PCA Awards last week. “I’ve had a little think about the challenge. But the first port of call is New Zealand, so that’s where my eyes are at.
“Form is a big thing in sport. So, yeah, I’ll just try and put in performances to win games for England. And if that does end up in an Ashes call-up into the XI, then I’ll be taking that with both hands, hopefully.”
The No3 position appears the one spot in England’s Test top seven that is still up for debate, with Ollie Pope the mainstay these past three years but coming off an India series that rather summed up his career at large. A ninth Test century at Headingley felt like a statement at the time, only for the returns to again tail off.
At the same time – and despite impressing at No3 against New Zealand last December – Bethell was experiencing a stop-start season that, after a one-off outing against India, only truly kicked into gear during the ODIs in September with a maiden professional century against South Africa.
Though made easier by the recent change of Test vice-captaincy, England have a decision to make here: stick with Pope’s experience at first drop or lean into a 21-year-old with a backfoot game that appears suited to Australia – but whose back catalogue has more gaps.
“I’m actually not very happy with the summer I had,” said Bethell. “But it’s something that has kind of lit a fire in me, I’m looking to build on that.
“Me and Popey get on great. I wouldn’t really call it a rivalry – there’s a lot of talk of outside noise but it doesn’t really filter into the camp. We practise really well together. He’s obviously the batter in contention for that No3 spot. He’s got that spot and he’s done unbelievably well.”
