England Assistant Coach Marcus Trescothick dismissed the rumour regarding the fitness concern of the England speedster Mark Wood ahead of the crucial Day 5 of the final test at the Oval. The Right-arm pacer bowled only three overs in the 2nd innings before rain halted the fourth Day play.
Mark Wood has been one of the most impactful bowlers for England since his return to the test team as he rattled the Australian batters with his sheer pace in the game but was underutilized in the final innings of the series so far which led to the speculation regarding his fitness going into the final day of the game.
Speaking to the Espncricinfo after the end of the Day 4 play, Marcus Trescothick said that everybody is overcooked after playing a big five-test series in a short period and revealed that everyone is fit to bowl on the crucial final day of the game and also spoke about changing the ball in the mid-way of the innings as the ball gets softer soon due to the conditions.
“I think pretty much like everybody, there’s little aches and pains that are going off the back of a big five-Test series. Both teams will be travelling in the same way at the moment. But yeah, everyone is fit to bowl. It was a tactical decision.”
“I think it was just a bit harder. That was the difference. Immediately, there’s a bit more life in it. Balls seem to have gone very soft very fast in this game – and this series.
“Both captains have tried to change them on numerous occasions. Whether it makes any difference, the rain coming down and saving it for tomorrow, who knows?” Marcus Trescothick said.
Australian openers Usman Khawaja and David Warner put in an impressive unbeaten partnership of 135 runs in a record chase of 384 runs to keep their team in the hunt to chase down the total on the cracking final day of the series as the English bowlers could not make any difference in the rain-curtailed game.
Moeen Ali Obviously Had A Bit Of Rest And Put His Feet Up – Marcus Trescothick
Marcus Trescothick revealed that Moeen Ali is fit to bowl on the final day of the game despite suffering a groin injury during the 1st day of the game and asserted that the team is looking to make use of him on the 5th day to give their side a real chance to win the game at Oval.
“He’s OK. You saw him bowl today. He’s obviously had the little niggle that he’s got. He’s obviously had a bit of rest and put his feet up. It’s not 100% – of course, it’s not. It’s not going to be probably for two or three weeks from now, but we’ve got a little bit out of him and will continue to try to do that again tomorrow,” Marcus Trescothick added.
England will be looking to bowl well on the final day of the game to pick up 10 wickets and draw the series 2-2 on the home soil whereas Baggy Greens would look to achieve a 3-1 triumph while even a draw would ensure Australia’s first series victory in England for 22 years.