Mark Wood Sidelined for Four Months After Knee Surgery, to Miss India Test Series

Mark Wood will miss all of England's Test series this summer against India after having an operation on his left knee.

The pace bowler has been out of action for four months and is aiming for a return around the end of July. But with England's last Test against India set to begin on July 31 at The Oval, his return will probably be after England's red-ball obligations come to an end. His attention will now turn to restoring full fitness before the Ashes later in the year.

Wood's distress was seen when England played against Afghanistan in their Champions Trophy fixture in February when he could not finish his eight-over spell. England went on to lose the match by eight runs, knocking them out of the tournament. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) subsequently disclosed that Wood had been "managing an issue with his knee for more than a year.

This latest disappointment is the latest in a list of injury problems for the 35-year-old pacer, whose career—founded on bowling at 90mph speeds—has frequently had a physical cost. He played in three Test matches last summer but was forced out after England's first game against Sri Lanka in August due to an elbow injury. While he did come back for white-ball responsibilities in India and Pakistan this year, ligament injury in his knee has now compelled another rehabilitation stint.

Though injured, Wood is still England's quickest bowler and an integral part of the squad for the next Ashes. He was among England's top performers in their 4-0 series defeat in Australia in 2021-22, claiming 17 wickets at a rate of 26.65. He was also an important contributor to the home Ashes series a year and a half later, collecting 14 wickets in three matches.

Expressing his disappointment, Wood said: “I’m gutted to be out for so long after representing England across all formats since last year. But I’m confident that now that my knee has been sorted, I’ll be back at full pace soon.

I would like to thank the surgeon, doctors, medical staff, my England colleagues, and coaches for their support—and, naturally, our supporters. I am excited to come back and help contribute to what promises to be an enormous 2025 for us as a team.

Wood was not the lone England pacer to be affected by an injury during the Champions Trophy, with Brydon Carse's season cut short due to a toe injury. The 29-year-old has also been ruled out of this season's Indian Premier League, with South Africa's Wiaan Mulder appointed as his replacement at Sunrisers Hyderabad.