Mark Wood is likely to miss England's second Test against Sri Lanka and could be a doubt for the remainder of the series due to a right thigh muscle injury sustained late on day three of the first Test in Manchester.
Wood experienced discomfort after bowling his second ball of his 11th over, before aborting his run-up for the third. He immediately left the field and was replaced in the attack by Joe Root, who took the wicket of Milan Rathnayake with the fourth delivery - Root's second - of the 56th over.
An ECB statement on Saturday morning before the start of day four said that Wood would not take the field. Around half an hour into play, he left Emirates Old Trafford for a scan to determine the full extent of the damage. England are hopeful the issue is a strain rather than a tear.
It seems certain Wood will miss the upcoming Test match at Lord's, which begins this Thursday, regardless of the results of the scan. And given the 34-year-old's unique standing as the fastest bowler in the world, England may be reluctant to risk Wood for the final Test at the Kia Oval, which gets underway on September 6.
Olly Stone, the spare fast bowler in the squad, is likely to replace Wood in the XI, and was released to play for Nottinghamshire in their Division One County Championship match with Durham.
In terms of squad reinforcements, Sam Curran could come into the reckoning. The allrounder is turning out for Surrey against Lancashire at the Kia Oval - his first red-ball match in over a year - and took 1 for 21 in the first innings. Picking Curran would allow England to operate with the allrounder they are lacking after captain Ben Stokes was ruled out of the rest of the summer with a torn hamstring sustained during the men's Hundred.
The loss of Wood was apparent as stand-in captain Ollie Pope oversaw a wicket-less start to day four. Sri Lanka batted past drinks, and through to a rain interruption shortly before lunch without losing a wicket, as Kamindu Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal, who brought up his half-century, extended the lead to 153.
.png)
Welcome to 6s Cricket, your ultimate destination for all things cricket! We're here to make your cricket experience exciting and accessible. Watch live matches, stay updated with scores, and explore in-depth team details. Dive into the world of cricket news, relish highlights through videos, and check out player stats. At 6s Cricket, we're passionate about cricket, and our goal is to bring that passion to you in a simple, enjoyable way. Join us in celebrating the thrill of the game as we connect cricket enthusiasts worldwide.
