3 times Mark Wood shocked the world with his speeds

Mark Wood terrorized Australia’s batting unit with his searing pace to put England on top of Day 1. On his return to Test cricket after seven months, Wood knocked down the leg stump of Australian opener Usman Khawaja as the speedster racked up his pace and doubled with an inswinger.

Wood returned in the final session of the game to rip through Australia’s tail as the tourists were bowled out for 263. Wood bagged his fourth five-wicket haul in Tests with figures of 5 for 34.

He was consistent in clocking more than 90 mph in his first four overs, with his delivery of 90.4 mph being the fastest by an England pacer in a home Test. He also bowled the fastest over in Headingley with speeds of 91 mph, 93 mph, 95 mph, 93 mph, 94 mph, and 93 mph.

Wood was delighted with his best performance with the red cherry in home conditions. His inclusion certainly made a difference to an England attack that lacked genuine pace options in the last two Tests. Consequently, Australia recorded its lowest total in this series thus far.

Let’s look at a few instances when Mark Wood was awe-inspiring for his quick guns against a batting unit across formats.

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#3 LSG vs DC IPL 2023

Mark Wood made a remarkable comeback in the Indian Premier League with a sensational spell. The English quick made his debut for Chennai Super Kings in 2018, which was his only game in the cash-rich league before he turned up for LSG in IPL 2023.

Playing in his first game for the Lucknow-based outfit against the Delhi Capitals, Wood recorded his career-best T20 figures (5 for 14) to help his side thump David Warner and Co. by 50 runs.

While chasing 193, Capitals openers David Warner and Prithvi Shaw got off to a brisk start until Mark Wood put the brakes on. Wood dismissed Shaw and Mitchell Marsh with absolute snorters on a sluggish surface.

He dismantled Shaw’s stumps with a sharp, fuller delivery, and a similar treatment was received by Mitchell Marsh on the very next ball, when the batter attempted to drive only for the ball to breach his defense.

The England speedster later returned to dismiss Axar Patel and Chetan Sakariya in his final over to complete his maiden five-for in the IPL.

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#2 England tour of Pakistan

Pakistan v England - Second Test Match: Day Four

Mark Wood played his first game against England in the third T20I in Karachi in September 2022. It was his first game after an injury-laden break over a period of six months.

After getting hit by Pakistan skipper Babar Azam for a boundary off his second ball in the third over, Wood bowled short and quick outside the off stump at 153 kph speed. Babar slashed the ball only to find Reece Topley at third man.

Wood constantly breached the mark of 150 kph in his second over and also dismissed Haider Ali on the very first ball. It was the fastest over bowled by an Englishman in T20Is.

He replicated his manic pace in the Test series three months later. He turned the game for England in the Multan Test, when Pakistan needed 74 runs with six wickets in hand.

Mark Wood used his best variations, like the short balls, reverse swing, and sheer pace, to pick the wickets of Mohammad Nawaz, Saud Shakeel, and Zahir Mohammad to finish with figures of 4/65.

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#1 T20 World Cup 2022

Eight of the top 10 fastest deliveries in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 were named after Mark Wood. The England pacer racked up speeds beyond the benchmark of 150 kph on a regular basis during the showpiece event.

The England quick recorded 154.74 kph against New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips during the Group 1 game in the Super 12 stage. The batter was fortunate to escape that nimble delivery with an inside edge past the leg stump and race to the fence for a boundary.

He bowled a series of 154. Wood broke the previous record held by the West Indies’ Fidel Edwards in the 2009 edition of the T20 World Cup.

Mark Wood was persistent with the 154-plus kph speeds in England’s tournament opener against Afghanistan. Hazratullah Zazai was on the receiving end of a lethal spell by Wood.