Mark Wood prepared to sacrifice World Cup dream to fulfil potential in Test cricket

Interview: The 28-year-old has played just six Tests since his breakthrough in 2015 and the player is aware that something may have to give if he is to star in next summer’s Ashes

Mark Wood is fit and ready to make an impact against India (Getty Images)

Mark Wood is desperate to help retain England’s No 1 one-day status during the forthcoming three-match series against India.

Victory against Virat Kohli’s immensely gifted and experienced group of white-ball specialists, currently ranked second in the world, would send out the strongest message yet that Eoin Morgan’s team mean business ahead of next year’s home World Cup.

However, for a player whose international career has been scarred by a succession of injuries, Wood is prepared to sacrifice his World Cup dream to fulfil his potential in Test cricket.

The 28-year-old won the Ashes in his breakthrough summer of 2015 but, having played just six Tests since, is aware that something may have to give if he is to face Australia again in next summer’s Ashes - and that something may be the World Cup.

Mark Wood is bidding to fulfil his dreams as a Test cricketer (Getty)

“I’ve not really thought of it like that,” said Wood. “I’ve thought Test cricket is still the pinnacle for me to play and the moment I let that dream go I might not be the same cricketer.

“I want to play Test match cricket. In the garden [as a kid], I always played Tests. I always watched Tests on the telly. I’m not saying there aren’t good players playing white-ball cricket but, if you’re regarded as a top, top player, it’s often through your Test performances.”

Overall Wood has played just 12 Tests in three years, with three major operations on his problematic left ankle at one stage threatening his career.

So it would be understandable if he decided to cut his workload and concentrate on white-ball cricket ahead of the World Cup, just as England team-mates Alex Hales and Adil Rashid have done.

However, in May Wood took a financial hit to cut short a spell in the Indian Premier League with Chennai Super Kings so he could return to Durham and state his Test case ahead of the first series of the summer against Pakistan.

Wood in action for England (Getty)

It worked, too, as Wood’s seven County Championship wickets against Derbyshire saw him keep his place for the Lord’s Test.

Although he lost it for the next match at Headingley, Wood hopes to be involved in the five-Test series against India that starts next month.

“I came back from Chennai because I wasn’t playing and it made sense for me to come back early and push for my Test career,” he said. “Chennai were really understanding. Then I managed to keep my Test spot. Unfortunately I didn’t keep it for Headingley but I’m raring at the chance to get back for at least one of the India games.”

In one-day cricket, whitewashing a depleted Australia 5-0 last month was satisfying for England.

Yet despite all the progress since the last World Cup in 2015, India are the only team England have not beaten over the course of a series since that tournament.

“It’s a different challenge,” admitted Wood. “If we were to lose, people would say it was the kick up the bum that we need. We lost against Scotland and reversed that with 5-0 against Australia.

England are looking to push on from their recent ODI success against Australia (AFP/Getty Images)

“It’s a big series. I think India always want to be the best team in everything so it’ll be a good test really to show them how good we are in our conditions.”

The good news is that Wood, rested for the recent T20s, is fit and ready to make an impact when the ODI series starts at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

“I’ve been pretty good,” he said. “I’ve just been managing my body. It’s nice to say to people ‘I’ve been alright’ rather than people asking and me saying ‘yeah, I’m alright’ when really you think I’m not. But I actually am alright [now].”

England have won all seven one-day series since losing 2-1 in India at the start of last year, with the only other setback in that period their elimination from the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy to Pakistan in Cardiff last summer.

Is there a danger then they have peaked too soon?

Wood is hoping he can add Kohli to his list of high-profile wickets (Getty)

“That’s not an issue,” says Wood. “I think we’ve played really well in series - not just the last six months but the last two or three years - so it’s not as if we’re peaking now.

“It’s just the Champions Trophy was a real disappointment. I feel we were the best team in the competition so when you say peaking I think that disappointment could hopefully, when the World Cup comes around, make sure that we’re really on come knockout time.”

As for the immediate challenge ahead, Wood has laid down the gauntlet to Virat Kohli, India’s captain and arguably the finest batsman across all formats in the world right now.

“I haven’t bowled against him yet - I keep missing India with injury,” he said. “For me, in big games, I’ve managed to get big wickets; there’s been Kane [Williamson], Steve Smith, [David] Warner, Faf du Plessis, people like that. So I’m hoping a huge player like Kohli will focus me again.

“I enjoy the challenge, it’s almost like I’ve got nothing to lose. There’s no doubt he’s a phenomenal player and he may well get the better of me but I’ll be trying my hardest to give him everything I’ve got.”