Mark Wood says he is feeling the excitement of bowling once again, after coming through a "boring" six months of rehab following knee surgery, and is ready to be as "fresh as I can be" come the first Test of the Ashes at Optus Stadium in Perth in a fortnight's time.

Wood, England's fastest bowler, played in four of the five Tests on England 's last Ashes tour in 2021-22, claiming 17 wickets including a career-best 6 for 37 in the final Test in Hobart.

However, on that occasion, he missed out on the chance to play in Perth, traditionally the venue for the fastest pitches in Australia, because of Western Australia's strict Covid policy. Instead, his only experience of the pace and bounce on offer came during England's victorious T20 World Cup campaign in 2022.

"It was rapid," Wood reca

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