New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) Mark Wood said playing alongside Jofra Archer in the Ashes would be a thrilling prospect, though he also admitted that both of them must prove their fitness in order to be deserving of finding spots in the England Test team.

Both Wood and Archer have both been working back from injuries, with the former recovering from a knee injury sustained during England’s defeat to Afghanistan in 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in March.

While Archer was in action for Sussex against Durham in his first red-ball match in four years and is in sight to enter the Test team for the second game against India, starting in Edgbaston on July 2, Wood had said while being on radio commentary duties in the series opener in Leeds that he was aiming to be fit and play in the fifth Test at The Oval, starting from July 31.

“I still have that hope. We are running our own race a little bit. He (Archer) is ready to go now, I still have a bit to go and there are plenty of other bowlers around. So I wouldn’t necessarily say it is definitely me and him pencilled in.

“In the pack of bowlers, we don’t want it to feel like we are competing against each other. We want it as a rounded group where it can do damage against India and Australia. That is what we are hoping for, but I don’t think there are guarantees for any of us.

“We all need to put in those performances. It would be lovely to play with him but we have both got to run our own race, get up to speed and deserve that spot,” Wood was quoted as saying by Sky Sports on Thursday.

England will be aiming to win the Ashes in Australia for the first time since 2010/11 and Wood stated that if he and Archer bowl at their best ever form and fitness, they can match up to Australia’s famed fast bowling trio of skipper Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

“We have got to be at our maximum, we have got to be 90mph plus, and offering something to the captain and the team. It is no good just expecting to play when these lads are currently in the team and they are doing well. You have to earn your spot and I am sure me and Jofra will be out to do that.

“It is exciting because to be able to go to Australia with a pack of fast bowlers in particular, we haven’t done that a lot in the last few series over there. There is an excitement and freshness that creates that build-up that we want.

“When you look at Australia’s team, they have had those three or four fast bowlers for a long time who have been really successful. It will be nice for us to bring our own and try and combat that,” he concluded.

–IANS

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