LONDON: England will continue to bowl bouncers at Australian batsman Chris Rogers if the opener is passed fit for this week’s third Ashes Test at Edgbaston after suffering from dizziness, seamer Mark Wood has said.

Rogers was forced to retire on 49 not out on the fourth day of Australia’s massive 405-run second Test victory against England at Lord’s, which levelled the series 1-1.

The 37-year-old left-hander, who was struck on the helmet by James Anderson off the first ball of the second day of the match but recovered to score 173 in Australia’s first innings, was later diagnosed with an inner ear problem.

“If he declares himself fit for the next game, that will not deter me from bowling a bouncer. I’m sure the rest of our lads will be the same,” Wood told the Tele­graph. “I don’t wish him any harm. But if he’s fit then he’s fit.”

Fellow opener Shaun Marsh, 32, is on standby to replace Rogers if he is not fit for the third Test which starts on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old Wood is playing in his first Ashes series and the intensity of the matches has given him sleepless nights.

“My mind is in overdrive and it gets to you. It keeps happening but it is just excitement for the next day and wanting to do well,” he said. “I wake up every so often and go to the toilet and go back to sleep and then wake up thinking I hope I bowl better than I did yesterday and go back to sleep again and wake up thinking I hope I score a few runs.”

Wood struggled for wickets, like most of the England bowling attack, in the second Test but the Durham seamer is determined to feature in the rest of the series.

“I wouldn’t want to give anyone else an opportunity — I want to cement that spot,” he said. “It was noticed my pace was down at times at Lord’s but when it is a flat pitch and you don’t want to concede runs, you bowl within yourself.

“But I was down on pace. There is only way I am going to get better and that is by playing back-to-back Tests.”

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2015

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