Mark Wood has admitted England were left 'shellshocked' after their heavy defeat in the first Ashes Test in Perth, but insists the team must fight fire with fire in Brisbane. The fast bowler revealed he even considered driving from Perth to Brisbane – a 2,500-mile journey – to fill the 12-day gap before the day-night second Test at the Gabba.
England were bowled out for 132 in their second innings on day two, collapsing from 105 for two to 116 all out, allowing Australia to chase down a modest target and take a 1-0 series lead. Travis Head's blistering 69-ball century sealed the win, leaving the tourists stunned.
Wood, speaking on the 'For The Love Of Cricket' podcast, said: 'When you first get back in, it's not that bit where you start evaluating. Shellshocked is the right word. Some lads choose to sit down, some lads start packing their kit. I sat down for five minutes.'
Despite the defeat, Wood believes England can bounce back. 'We have been hit hard in round one, but we have more rounds to throw some back,' he said. 'As a bowling group, we can take a lot of confidence from that game. It being a day-night Test in Brisbane, we know around night time we can zip it around. If we zip around at pace that can make it difficult.'
The 35-year-old, who returned from knee surgery in March, will be rested for the two-day pink-ball match against the Prime Minister's XI in Canberra, with only Jacob Bethell, Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts playing. England's batters will instead have extra practice at the Gabba ahead of the second Test starting on 4 December.
