England captain Alastair Cook is not allowing his players to rest on their laurels despite already sealing the Ashes, bowler Mark Wood revealed ahead of the final Test at the Oval.
England claimed an unassailable 3-1 lead with victory at Trent Bridge but Cook is determined to finish with a flourish and not settle for what they have already achieved, Wood said.
The Durham seamer, who took the wicket that sealed the return of the Ashes at Nottingham, said: “Cooky rang me the next day. He didn’t let that winning feeling sink in too much because every other phone call was saying ‘brilliant, well done but let’s make this 4-1’.
“We have to prepare like we have for every other game and make sure that when it comes to Thursday that we’re raring to go.”
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Wood played the first two matches of the series but concerns over his right ankle, and his physical suitability for back-to-back Tests, saw him left out at Edgbaston.
He returned for the fourth Test at Trent Bridge where England reg-ained the Ashes with the 25-year-old contributing 28 runs and claiming figures of three for 69 in Australia’s second innings.
However, he may have to step aside if James Anderson returns to the team after practising on Monday. The record-breaking fast bowler, 33, was ruled out of the fourth Test after suffering a side strain during the third Test at Edgbaston.
Wood added: “Jimmy’s a fantastic bowler and I’m sure everyone would want him in the side so if he’s fit and ready to go then it looks like he would get the nod, but I’ll prepare like I have for every other game.”
