Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad said he would be surprised if Mark Wood played in the second Test at Lord’s after he sustained a muscle injury to his right thigh that kept him out of the field on the fourth day of the first Test against Sri Lanka. On the third day of the first Test at Old Trafford, Wood left the field immediately after bowling two balls in his 11th over in Sri Lanka’s second innings. “I suppose the severity of the injury is not yet confirmed. When we say here that Ben Stokes has injured his thigh muscle, it was a grade two injury and he was in pain immediately.”

“Mark Wood actually ran into the bowl. I would be surprised if it was anything too serious but with his style of bowling you don’t want to take it too far or cause any more damage. If Sri Lanka had ultimately not lost any wickets it would be a different story.”

“With the six wickets lost, you hope you have enough bowling to get them. I would be shocked if they risked him at Lord’s on Thursday. Then you try to get him fit for the oval,” Broad said on Sky Sports Cricket ahead of the fourth day’s play.

Former captain Nasser Hussain said if Sri Lanka could extend their lead beyond 200, it would be a great chase for England, who are without Stokes in their batting line-up. “Kamindu Mendis has looked as good as anyone in the Sri Lanka team. When fit, he has put himself in great positions against spin, seam and Mark Wood.”

“They have two great players at bat but if they get one, we have blue skies at our backs, the pitch is still decent. They should be able to get 150, 160. If it’s 200 and Sri Lanka have something to play for, then without Stokes you have a game.”

Former batsman Mark Butcher commented on England’s development. “It is evolving and not to its detriment. That’s the worst thing. People will have their own opinion about how England talk about the way they play.”

“But a lot of the players that Rob Key, McCullum and Stokes have selected are people from county cricket who may not even be household names in their own families. They have come into the team, slotted in straight away and done very well. That’s a great testament to the environment they have built and the talent that is out there.”

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