Ashes 2023 | Twitter reacts as Wood's express pace freezes Cummins plumb in front of stumps
Conspiracy theorists would perhaps achieve a huge push in their agenda after witnessing Pat Cummins' antics in Leeds as the tailender suffered a massive glitch in the matrix on Thursday. He had no answer to Mark Wood's pace and was left completely bamboozled leading to a hilarious dismissal.
England rode on the back of Mark Wood in the final session of the third Ashes Test's Day 1 to stage a spirited comeback after being left on the backfoot by a counterattacking Mitchell Marsh century. The speedster scalped three wickets in the space of seven deliveries to eventually bowl Australia out for 263, with the dismissal of opposition skipper Pat Cummins certain to make the highlight reel for the encounter at Headingley.
Wood, having delivered the fastest spell of the series by a distance earlier in the day, got rid of Mitchell Starc in the 57th over to beckon his counterpart to the crease. Cummins managed to somehow block the first ball he faced but was sent packing the very next delivery which clocked 92 mph on the speedometer. Wood made the Dukes pitch at good length on off stump with just a hint of inwards movement and much to the crowd's shock, the ball simply thumped into Cummins' pad straight in front of middle stump. Replays showed the Australian skipper only slightly twitched his muscles as if attempting to get his bat down in time but failed horribly, completely misjudging the pace of the 33-year-old right arm quick.
Wood eventually ended his first appearance in the series with figures of 5/35, making Twitter sing his praises.
Beauty!
— Octopus Yadav (@OctopusYadav) July 6, 2023
Welcome back!
WELCOME BACK MARK WOOD 🤩
— Khan (@Khanessed) July 6, 2023
He is rocking everyone's world
Mark wood you are rocking my world
— ✌️🇪🇸 (@LFCSC_7) July 6, 2023
Work of art
Mark Wood - you bloody babe ❤️
— Leighann (@auntyleighanna) July 6, 2023
Power of pace
PAce is Pace! #MarkWood #Ashes2023
— Arun Krishnan 🇮🇳 (@ArunKrishnan_) July 6, 2023
We need to blood Umran Malik before he is converted to a mid 80s trundler by our coaches.
I think so
Does Mark Wood lead the most loved / least played ratio for an England player of recent times?#Pace
— Dave Bird (@BardDave) July 6, 2023
Rockets
Mark Wood is bowling absolute rockets but England will get skittled out in overcast conditions in this final session.
— Sam (@ON_921022) July 6, 2023
I’m sure of it. #Ashes
Brilliant
Mark wood is showing to Australian batters what can sheer pace do!! Absolutely brilliant!#Ashes2023
— TheAverageSpursy🇹🇼 (@impravin22) July 6, 2023
Who knows now!
Superb from Mark Wood. Bowled brilliantly, swinging in all over, & hitting 95 mph regularly. I dare say at worst we'd have been 1-1 from the first two tests if he'd have been fit.
— Simon Jenkins (@FLC1889) July 6, 2023
Lightning quick
He did not even moved his bat . Lightning struck him already !
— Arun (@arunpilli45) July 6, 2023
Wow , Mark wood is on fireeeee ♥️ #Ashes2023