England finally included the kind-hearted Mark Wood in the series, and he proved his value in the Ashes of 2023, according to Ian Chappell

The current Ashes are taking place, and former Australia captain Ian Chappell criticized England for including tearaway quick Mark Wood late in the playing eleven. He said that this underlined a common issue with the setup—failing to make the appropriate choices.

Wood picked up 5-34 from 11.4 overs and 2-66 from 17 overs in both innings of the contest at Headingley as he played in a Test for the first time since the tour of Pakistan last year.

The pacer, who has missed several games over his career owing to a variety of ailments, contributed significantly to England’s three-wicket victory in the Headingley Test.

“Stuart Broad’s expertise and his chokehold on David Warner serve as the backbone of England’s offense. Mark Wood, who was late in being added to the series, quickly established his value with a fast assault at Headingley. Wood’s presence brought attention to an English weakness that is selection, Chappell wrote in his piece for ESPNCricinfo on Sunday.

Chappell also questioned England’s inclusion of off-spin all-rounder Moeen Ali and wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow in their starting lineup.

After injuring his leg in a strange accident last year, Bairstow hasn’t been at his best with the bat and the gloves, while Ali, who came out of test retirement to join England’s Ashes squad, hasn’t been at his most productive.

In addition to delaying the introduction of his dangerous speed until the third Test, Chappell added, “they have chosen a wicketkeeper in Jonny Bairstow who is a batter first, whose mistakes with the gloves have cost his side dearly.”

“They also made the decision to treat Moeen Ali like a celebrity, despite the fact that in his heyday he never posed a significant bowling or batting danger to Australia. One of the key contrasts between the two sides, he said, was England’s clumsy inability to catch firmly and preserve runs on the ground.

The 79-year-old also thinks that Australia, who is now leading the Ashes series 2-1, can still win it, but he anticipates a fierce battle from England because of their captain Ben Stokes.

“While Cummins and Stokes have very different leadership philosophies, they both valiantly strive to win the match with their first delivery. The emphasis of scoring runs and taking wickets has been acknowledged by England thanks to Stokes, as it should be, according to Chappell.

“I thought Australia was ready to sweep the Ashes midway through the Lord’s Test. I neglected to account for Stokes’ extraordinary inspiring traits, however. Australia will still win the Ashes, but it’ll be a tough battle against an England team that still plays well despite having a weak lineup, the expert said.