Watch: In his first T20 appearance since the 2023 Indian Premier League, Mark Wood hit 96mph in each of his first two overs before ripping out Azam Khan with a vicious bouncer.
The England speedster’s latest injury setback followed this winter’s Test tour of India, with a knee complaint keeping him out since then. Rain has also hampered England’s preparations, with two of the first three T20Is against Pakistan washed out.
The 34-year-old, who has long ranked among the world’s fastest bowlers, wasted no time in showing that he was still capable of reaching his familiar speeds, regularly crossing the 90mph and reaching a top speed of 96mph in his first two overs. To begin with, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan used Wood’s pace to good effect - each of his two fastest balls was guided to the boundary. But when the quick was reintroduced against Azam and Usman Khan, he was too hot to handle.
The two are more renowned as smashers of spin, and struggled to lay a bat on Wood, who contorted both with a short-ball attack. While Usman was able to get off strike, Azam was turned into an ‘S’, gloving up into the air, with Jos Buttler completing the catch behind the stumps.
A short rain delay soon after halted play with the score at 91-5 in the 11th over. England are 1-0 up in the four-match series. The game at The Oval will be the side's last preparation before the T20 World Cup, which begins on June 1.
Watch Mark Wood bounce out Azam Khan below:
Serious, serious pace from Mark Wood.#ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/2tpGYVrouA
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) May 30, 2024
