England in India: Fast bowler Mark Wood back for first T20 after injury
2025-01-21
Category: sports

Fast bowler Mark Wood will play for the first time since August in England's first T20 against India in Kolkata on Wednesday.Wood, 35, has not played since the first Test against Sri Lanka last summer after a stress fracture was discovered in his elbow while he was sidelined with a minor thigh issue.The Durham player joins Jofra Archer in England's pace attack with Ben Duckett set to open the batting alongside Phil Salt.It will be the first time Duckett, England's Test opener, has opened in T20s for six years.The five-match series against India and the three one-day internationals that follow and England's first matches with Brendon McCullum as their white-ball coach.McCullum has transformed the Test side since being appointed in 2022 and now takes on both roles until 2027.
âââââââââââââââââââ
England XI: Salt (wk), Duckett, Buttler (c), Brook, Livingstone, Bethell, J Overton, Atkinson, Archer, Rashid, Wood.
Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, pace bowlers Brydon Carse and Saqib Mahmood, as well as leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed are the players to miss out on a place in McCullum's first XI.Duckett's promotion means England return to the opening partnership used in the ODI series against Australia in September.Duckett missed the white-ball tour to West Indies in November because of his Test commitments and Salt opened with Surrey batter Will Jacks, who was left out of the squad to tour India. Salt will continue to keep wicket against India with captain Jos Buttler leading from the field.Gus Atkinson has been selected for his first white-ball matches since 2023 on the back of a stellar debut year in Test cricket where he took 52 wickets in 11 matches in 2024.He has previously played three T20s and nine ODIs.Spin-bowling all-rounder Jacob Bethell also retains his place after a breakthrough winter.He impressed in the under-strength England side on his debut tour of West Indies and then scored fifties in each of his first three Tests in New Zealand before Christmas."All credit to him [Bethell]," Buttler said. "He has done incredibly well coming into international cricket."He has a good head on his shoulders and has the game for it. "It was fantastic to watch him in New Zealand. He has been playing really well and this is a new challenge for him and one I know he is excited for."McCullum's arrival comes as England begin preparations for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan next month. The next T20 World Cup is also in India and Sri Lanka next year."It is not a new set up because Baz [McCullum] has been around for a while and there are a lot of players in this squad that have been with him the Test set up," added Buttler."I am looking forward to building that relationship. It is going to be a great series against a really top side in their own conditions."India are the current T20 world champions but have named a youthful squad for the T20 series. Experienced fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is injured and will miss the series.