England's Ashes blueprint has been put under scrutiny after an injury scare threatened to derail their plans, with Mark Wood's potentially significant hamstring issue casting doubt over his participation in the opening Test against Australia at Perth's Optus Stadium.
The team's strategy for the series had been revealed just days earlier, featuring five seam options including Ben Stokes and a no-rotation policy, but any carefully laid plans now appear to be hanging by a thread.
Stokes himself performed well, taking six wickets as England bowled out the Lions XI - which included several members of the Ashes squad - for 382 on the first day. However, there are concerns about Wood's fitness following his injury, and if he does not recover in time, it could be a major blow to England's plans.
Wood was one of three England bowlers who appeared fragile during the practice match, alongside Stokes and Jofra Archer, while Gus Atkinson impressed with his short-pitched bowling.
England's batting lineup looked solid however, although the Lions' top-scorer Ben McKinney had a decent outing before being dismissed by Josh Tongue.
Durham's McKinney scored 67, while Somerset's Thomas Rew added 55 to his total as he became Gus Atkinson's scalp. Another player, who could potentially replace Wood in the team, Jordan Cox took 53 runs off England bowlers.
However, if Mark Wood does not return to action on time, it is possible that the balance of England's strategy could be disrupted.
The batting lineup could also see a change with Jacob Bethell coming close to displacing Ollie Pope, who has struggled in his last few appearances for the team.
While Brook remains optimistic about England's chances, he admits that the side will face a tough test against Australia at Perth's Optus Stadium.
The team's strategy for the series had been revealed just days earlier, featuring five seam options including Ben Stokes and a no-rotation policy, but any carefully laid plans now appear to be hanging by a thread.
Stokes himself performed well, taking six wickets as England bowled out the Lions XI - which included several members of the Ashes squad - for 382 on the first day. However, there are concerns about Wood's fitness following his injury, and if he does not recover in time, it could be a major blow to England's plans.
Wood was one of three England bowlers who appeared fragile during the practice match, alongside Stokes and Jofra Archer, while Gus Atkinson impressed with his short-pitched bowling.
England's batting lineup looked solid however, although the Lions' top-scorer Ben McKinney had a decent outing before being dismissed by Josh Tongue.
Durham's McKinney scored 67, while Somerset's Thomas Rew added 55 to his total as he became Gus Atkinson's scalp. Another player, who could potentially replace Wood in the team, Jordan Cox took 53 runs off England bowlers.
However, if Mark Wood does not return to action on time, it is possible that the balance of England's strategy could be disrupted.
The batting lineup could also see a change with Jacob Bethell coming close to displacing Ollie Pope, who has struggled in his last few appearances for the team.
While Brook remains optimistic about England's chances, he admits that the side will face a tough test against Australia at Perth's Optus Stadium.
. And let's not forget, England's batting lineup has looked solid so far... they just need to keep it that way 
. Of course, Australia is gonna be tough to beat, but I still think our boys can pull it off 
!
this injury scare is like, what even is cricket anymore? it's like they're setting up these elaborate plans and then just waiting for something to go wrong... like life itself 
you gotta be prepared for the unexpected, right? mark wood's hamstring issue could totally throw off their whole strategy. and if he can't make it back in time, that would be a major blow. but at the same time, it's also an opportunity for someone else to step up and shine... like jordan cox did with those 53 runs 
anyway, gotta keep an eye on this one...
i mean, ben stokes took six wickets on the first day which was awesome, but without mark wood, it feels like their whole strategy is up in the air 
what if jordan cox gets a chance to play instead? that could be interesting... and i'm also a bit worried about ollie pope's form, maybe brook needs to make some changes there too 
BUT SERIOUSLY FOLKS, THIS INJURY SCARE WITH MARK WOOD IS LIKE, A BIG BLOW 
. Ben Stokes is looking like a total rockstar with those 6 wickets 
but if Wood can't make it back, it'll be like, super tough for them to compete 
. And let's not forget about Jordan Cox, he's like, totally crushing it out there 
! Meanwhile, Jacob Bethell is looking all like a dark horse, maybe Ollie Pope won't be the only one struggling at the top of the order 
but... I don't know, maybe I am? 
If Mark Wood can't play, it'll be a big loss for England, but... on the other hand, that means more chances for other guys like Jordan Cox to step up and prove themselves 
. And who knows, maybe their strategy will even benefit from the uncertainty? 
It's all about adaptation, right? 
But wait, what if they do adapt too much? Will they lose some of their edge? 
. ben stokes did alright in the practice match, took 6 wickets and all that, but if wood can't make it back, it'll be a huge blow to their strategy 
. i'm not saying they're out of luck or anything, but this is definitely a concern 
and brook's optimism about the series still intact, which is good to see 
. but yeah, this injury scare has definitely added a new layer of complexity to things 
. If Wood doesn't recover, it could throw off their whole strategy, especially with no-rotation policy in play... it's like they're playing whist without the rules 
. And let's not forget about Jordan Cox, who's been making waves - maybe they should consider giving him a shot instead of Wood? 
And if he can't make it back in time, that's gonna be a huge problem for them. I mean, you've got Ben Stokes doing well but you still need him to perform like that consistently. And now this injury scare is raising questions about their strategy and all that... it's just not ideal 
. But at the same time, they do have some solid bowlers and a decent batting lineup so I guess it's not all doom and gloom 
️. And maybe this is an opportunity for someone like Jordan Cox to step up and prove himself 
what if they have to make some last min changes?? 
and btw, who else is hyped for this match? 