Mark Wood set for a return in the India vs England series? Speedster provides injury update

The English bowling lineup is facing the brunt of an all-round Indian batting attack at Headingley right now. Three batters from the visitors' lineup have raced to their respective tons in the opening India vs England Test as Day 2 is underway in Leeds. There were a lot of aspersions cast on the India squad picked to tour England, as the relatively raw group lacked the experience of the now-retired Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. However, the discussion shifted swiftly after England revealed its squad for the home series. The bowling attack clearly appeared to lack sharpness, with the majority of the pacers ruled out due to injury. Chris Woakes, fresh off an ankle injury, is leading the pace unit, with Brydon Carse and captain Ben Stokes backing him.

Mark Wood hopeful for a possible return for the last India vs England Test at The Oval

Now, as the India vs England series progresses, the home team is anticipating the positive news of the return of some of their pace picks. Seasoned speedster, Mark Wood recently provided an injury update, marking the end of July as the timeline for his possible return. The pacer is working towards a potential comeback in the final Test of the ongoing series against India. The 35-year-old quick is currently recovering from a knee injury and is optimistic about being fit in time for the fifth Test, set to be held at The Oval from July 31.

Wood suffered a medial ligament injury to his left knee during the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy and was forced to leave the field mid-game. Following surgery in March, he was prescribed a four-month rehabilitation plan, effectively sidelining him from the now ongoing India vs England series. Despite the initial prognosis, Wood’s recovery has been promising, and the fast bowler is now eyeing a late return. 

The final match of the India vs England Test series is scheduled to take place at The Kia Oval, and Wood is hoping to prove his match fitness ahead of it. As part of his comeback plan, the Durham speedster is expected to turn out for his County side in their fixture against Somerset beginning July 22.

"Rehab is going well. I've just started bowling very lightly, so I'm officially on the comeback trail now," Wood said.  "I'm hoping to still play a part in this series so I get to have a look at some of the players here who I might come up against. I'm still targeting probably the last Test. Anything before that is maybe a bit too soon. The last Test-I might not get there-but at the minute, that's still my focus."

Although Wood’s return would inject much-needed experience into a depleted England pace unit, the team’s think tank is likely to proceed cautiously, particularly with the Ashes series looming later in the year. England’s bowling department has been hit hard by injuries throughout the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, with multiple first-choice options already out of action.

Among them are Olly Stone and Jofra Archer, both currently undergoing rehabilitation. Archer is tipped to make a comeback in the second India vs England Test, and is expected to feature for Sussex in a County Championship match against Durham this Sunday. The express pacer hasn’t played red-ball cricket since May 2021 and has only appeared in limited-overs formats since.