Mark Wood may replace Sam Curran as England ponder change of pace

Mark Wood has scarcely known an England dressing room as quiet as that which followed the 10-wicket defeat in Antigua. But despite joking about tension between batsmen and bowlers, the Durham quick insists team unity remains strong.

On Monday four reserves among Joe Root’s squad – Wood, Chris Woakes, Keaton Jennings and Jack Leach – headed back to the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium for a voluntary net session on what should have been day five of the second Test against West Indies.

It followed a meeting with the head coach, Trevor Bayliss, the day before when, after 24 hours of reflection, players were asked to share thoughts on how they improve and, looking ahead to the third Test in St Lucia starting on Saturday, avoid becoming the first England side to endure a Caribbean whitewash since David Gower’s team lost 5-0 in 1986.

“It was probably one of the quietest dressing rooms I’ve been involved in. I don’t think anyone spoke to each other for an hour,” said Wood, who was among the drinks carriers.

“Trevor organised a meeting on Sunday to chew the fat, talk a bit of cricket and reflect on the game. We always talk about how we’re going to go about things and Rooty leaves no stone unturned in his analysis. It was a get-together to make sure we still have that unity. Not to get away from that, even though we’ve had a couple of bad results.

“No one likes losing and it’s hard when you do. But I don’t think there will be [disharmony]. Obviously the batting union and the bowlers union are slightly split at the minute,” he added, with a smile.

Wood believes it is right that those who played in Antigua stayed away from nets on Monday. Few would expect the well-worked bowlers to train after back-to-back Tests but, as regards the batsmen, Wood fancies in this instance there was greater value in resetting mentally before the flight to St Lucia on Tuesday.

“The lads work so hard, maybe a bit of freshness this time would have been the right call. Other times maybe [you train],” he said.

“When you get to international level, I don’t feel like there’s loads of technical problems. A lot of it’s mental. If everyone had piled into the nets today, it’s still a bit fresh after the game, especially because we’ve been hammered.”

Sam Curran, whose left-arm swing has been negated by conditions and who has found No 9 a spot too low for his counter-attacking batting, could make way on Saturday and in normal circumstances Woakes might be considered favourite to replace him.

The Warwickshire all-rounder’s knee has flared up in the past week and – given his importance to the one-day side, as leader of the bowling attack – he could well be held back now that the Test series has been lost.

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It leaves Wood hoping to play his first Test since Lord’s last May and, after a strong showing with the Lions in the United Arab Emirates before Christmas, he feels fit and ready to bowl with good pace. “I think I’ve got a chance. It’s very harsh to leave a bowler out when it’s the batting that’s failed but that always seems to be the case, doesn’t it? I haven’t got Shannon Gabriel’s muscles but maybe I could bowl as quick as him. I still think I can.”

West Indies, meanwhile, have called up the Guyanese bowling all-rounder Keemo Paul after confirmation that the captain, Jason Holder, is banned from the third Test following a second slow over-rate in the past 12 months. Kraigg Brathwaite is expected to lead the side while Alzarri Joseph remains in the squad despite the death of his mother.

source: theguardian.com