Ben Stokes and Mark Wood are expected to be fully fit and ready for the Ashes series starting next month, according to their Durham teammate Brydon Carse. The pair have been training together at Loughborough, with Carse stating that Stokes is looking near 100% fit and Wood is also close to full fitness after knee surgery.
Stokes missed the fifth Test against India with a shoulder injury, while Wood sat out the entire English summer following knee surgery in March. Their impending return provides a boost for England, contrasting with Australia's concerns over captain Pat Cummins, who is unlikely to be ready for the first Test in Perth due to a lower back stress issue.
Carse, who is part of England's white-ball squad in New Zealand, also expressed his own readiness for the Ashes challenge. He noted his comfort bowling with the Kookaburra ball, which he finds more suitable than the Dukes ball. Carse took 27 wickets in five Tests with the Kookaburra last winter.
Meanwhile, young batter Jacob Bethell sees the upcoming tour of New Zealand as an opportunity to push for an Ashes call-up. The No. 3 batting position remains a point of debate, with Ollie Pope's inconsistent form leaving the door open for Bethell, who impressed in recent ODIs against South Africa.
