Phil Tufnell backs England's Ashes secret weapon against Australia after Mark Wood injury news

Gus Atkinson can be England's secret weapon against Australia in The Ashes, according to BBC TMS commentator Phil Tufnell, as the tourists sweat Mark Wood's fitness.

Wood has gone for precautionary scans after feeling a tightness in his hamstring on the first day of England's only warm-up match against the England Lions, which was the 35-year-old's first competitive game in nine months following surgery on his knee.

The ECB's initial statement suggested they expect the Durham quick to bowl in two days' time, but with a little more than a week to go until the first Test at the Optus Stadium, in Perth, it is far from ideal that a key member of their pace attack, whose career has been marred by injury issues, could be a doubt for the opener.

"I'm afraid it might be one of those tours," said Tufnell in response to the news concerning Wood. "Australia tours are gruelling. You know, not only physically but mentally as well. I think it's going to need the whole squad to play their part."

He added: "That is concerning news, but let's just keep fingers crossed that it's just a little bit of stiffness and they can get him ready because I'm pretty well 100% sure he'll be playing that first test, if he's ready to go."

Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have taken a fast bowling arsenal down under with them – Wood, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, and Brydon Carse can all bowl 90 mph-plus, while the skipper himself has clocked the magic number in the past – but there have been suggestions, from Aussie stand-in captain Steve Smith among others, that England all-out pace attack would've been better suited to previous Ashes series and may not have success on the greener Australian pitches of recent years.

There is indeed none of England's past swing kings, such as Jimmy Anderson or Chris Woakes, in the visitors' ranks but what, or rather who, the doubters, Smith included, appear to be overlooking is that they do have Atkinson.

The Surrey seamer has made an outstanding start to his Test career – taking 63 wickets in 13 matches, including four 5-fers, at an average of 22.01 – and is exactly the sort of nippy bowler that could flourish on greener pitches.

Atkinson may not strike fear into the hearts of the Aussies but could he prove to be England's secret weapon? Tufnell certainly thinks so.

"Absolutely," he replied when the question was put to him by RadioTimes.com. "I've been talking to the boys down under and they've been keeping an eye on Sheffield Shield cricket. The pitches are just a little bit more seamer-friendly, instead of those absolute roads from back in the day.

"I think that Australia didn't particularly fancy bowling on our top seven on those absolute belters because that falls into our wheelhouse a bit. Perhaps they were thinking, right? Let's just get a little bit of sideways movement.

"It's all very well and good bowling all these rockets, short balls and bumpers, but at the end of the day, you look at someone like Josh Hazlewood. Hit the top of that off stump, and Gus can still crank it up. He can still bowl over 85mph, you know.

"Sometimes it is that hit the top of off stump and a little bit of sideways movement that does the job. Nip one back, hit the pad, you know, but still have that ability to get it around your earholes.

"Sometimes those types are the bowlers. Glenn McGrath was absolutely world class. He wasn't express pace, he looked to nag away on that length. Look at Scott Boland, those kind of guys.

"A lot of people are saying Wood, Archer, Tongue, and Carse will bomb them out but I think Gus Atkinson is going to have a huge role to play. Very, very skillfull bowler.

"He's had a fantastic start to his career and he doesn't give much away. Gus just sort of gets on with his job. Head down, turn around, bowl again, down. turn around bowl again. I think he's going to be crucial."

TNT Sports and discovery+ has exclusive live TV coverage of The Ashes, which can also be watched through Amazon Prime Video, while fans can listen to every ball of the series via Test Match Special on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.

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