Australian batting legend Ricky Ponting has showered rich praise on England pacer Mark Wood for his stunning exploits in the third Ashes Test at Headingley.
Wood put on a fast-bowling exhibition, returning with a seven-wicket haul to script England’s three-wicket victory over Australia and kept the hosts alive in the Ashes. The right-arm quick claimed five wickets in Australia’s first innings and also contributed 40 crucial runs with the bat in Leeds.
Ponting was left amazed by Wood's impact and compared him to former Aussie speedster Mitchell Johnson and even Brett Lee "in his prime".
"Wood is a bit like him (Johnson) and a bit like Brett Lee in his prime I reckon as well," Ponting said in the latest episode of ICC Review.
"Bowling first change, bowling quickly, intimidating batsmen, getting a little bit of movement when it was there. He is just an absolute strike weapon," he added.
Ponting suggested England skipper Ben Stokes to use Mark Wood in short, sharp spells to unsettle new batters at the crease.
"I think the biggest challenge is getting him through the next couple of games. I know he said after Headingley that he got through I think three Test matches in a row in Australia in the last Ashes series and did it OK," the former Australia captain said.
"The challenge for him is going to be if he keeps his pace at that sort of mid-90 miles an hour because they are like those guys that you know he is not overly tall, he is quite skiddy and when they are not at their absolute top pace-wise they can be quite easy to face."
"They do not get steep bounce, they skid onto the bat and they do not have a lot of movement, but if he can keep his pace up at the absolute top like it was at Leeds then he is going to be really dangerous for the Aussies that is for sure," he elaborated.
Wood, who didn’t feature in the first two Tests, made an instant impact at Headingley as he helped England bundle out Australia for 263 in the first innings.
"I think that the difference was there to see in Headingley. I mean someone that can run in and bowl at that pace but he gets movement with the ball as well. His seam presentation, the way he releases the ball is outstanding for someone that is running in and bowling as fast as he is," Ponting said.
"You look at the delivery that got (Usman) Khawaja, full just swinging back down the line at mid-90 miles an hour. If you have got someone like that you just have to play it, when they are physically fit and going, you have just got to keep playing them until they eventually run out of steam."
"The impact he had on the game was absolutely first class and him and (Chris) Woakes I thought were the difference," he further remarked.
Commenting on England's pace attack in the last Test, Ponting said he thought the hosts would retain Josh Tongue in the XI but acknowledged the role Chris Woakes played in the winning side.
"I thought they would stick with Tongue as well and bring Wood in," the Australian said.
"But I think it was a very good decision to bring Woakes and Wood into the side because Woakes obviously strengthens their batting and the conditions they probably felt they were going to get at Headingley suited Woakes down to the ground."
"They had more sting in their bowling attack with Wood being there. Some of the stuff we saw him bowl, that was express. That is as quick as it gets, pushing 96 or 97 miles an hour. And it looked like he did unsettle some of the Australian top-order."
"So, they will want to push him through now for the next couple of games. Great for him and England that they have got the long break going into Manchester because they need him up and firing again for the remainder of the series," concluded Ponting.
The fourth Ashes Test will be played at Old Trafford, Manchester from July 19.
(With ANI Inputs)
