Horror tour gets worse: Mark Wood ruled out of the Ashes with injury

England’s hopes of regaining Mark Wood in the Ashes have been dashed after a recurrence of the knee complaint he picked up in Perth. Could it be the end of his career?

England’s Ashes has spiralled into further turmoil with express fast bowler Mark Wood ruled out of the rest of the series.

Given England’s blueprint for beating Australia in Australia was largely based on unleashing the raw 150km/h pace of Wood and Jofra Archer, it is a mammoth blow that one of those men was only able to bowl 11 overs before being sent home.

Wood pulled up sore with a knee injury following the two-day Perth Test which ruled him out of the second Test in Brisbane, and he’s now been ruled out for good after suffering a recurrence of the left-knee complaint.

Turning 36 next month, it could well be the end of Wood’s Test career.

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Wood tour – and career – could be over after his latest injury scare. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images.

Surrey county seamer Matthew Fisher has been added to the England squad as a replacement after featuring as part of the England Lions team also touring Australia.

The responsibility of carrying this England attack now falls squarely on the shoulders of Archer – widely criticised for his up and down performance in Brisbane – and the captain, Ben Stokes.

Evidence to this point has suggested the rest of England’s attack, including fast bowlers Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson and the yet to be selected Josh Tongue and Fisher will pose little threat to Australia’s batters on home soil.

Archer was hammered by Australian captain Steve Smith and commentators for firing up with the fastest spell of the Brisbane Test, on the fourth night when the game was already run and won.

England desperately needs their spearhead to find another gear in Adelaide and unleash fury on Australia from the get go.

But the fact he has only played a couple of Test matches in the past couple of years puts a question mark over how long his motor can run for if he’s pushing his foot to the floor.

Cameron Green was a victim of Mark Wood’s toughest spell. Picture: Colin Murty/AFP.

Wood’s injury is devastating for England and the series given how he terrorised Australia’s batsmen with sheer pace in the UK on the 2023 Ashes tour.

There was early evidence in Perth that members of Australia’s top order did not like the short, fast stuff.

England thought they could carry Wood through despite the fact he hadn’t played a competitive game of cricket leading into the Ashes since February.

But his lack of preparation and conditioning was badly exposed in the fact he broke down even despite having his workload carefully managed in Perth.

England’s grand plans of blowing Australia away with sheer pace has exploded on the tarmac.