Ben Stokes praises Mark Wood after series-sealing win at Edgbaston

England completed a 3-0 clean sweep against the West Indies in their recent Test series, ending with a decisive win at Edgbaston in Birmingham from July 26-28. The match concluded on Day 3, cementing England's dominance over the visitors.

England captain Ben Stokes praised pacer Mark Wood, who was named Player of the Match for his outstanding performance. Wood bowled 16 overs in the first innings, conceding 52 runs and taking two wickets. In the second innings, he bowled 14 overs, conceding 40 runs and taking a brilliant five-wicket haul, helping England secure a swift victory.

Stokes commended Wood's effort, stating, "The rewards that he [Wood] got I think was later than he actually deserved to get them. The effort that he always puts in when he wears his England shirt is just phenomenal. He's got the heart of a lion and that little sort of 45 minutes or an hour period when he had the ball is exactly what you want as a captain."

Stokes added, "Fast, extremely skilful, and he really blew the game open there for us... he was just phenomenal. It felt like he was going to take a wicket every ball. Obviously, when the balls reverse swinging at 93mph, it's definitely going to be a lot harder. He's very, very important. The skill that he possesses, the X factor he has, every team wants one of those and he showed why it's so important today."

Wood, upon receiving the Player of the Match award, revealed his initial frustration after the first session. However, advice from James Anderson, England's bowling mentor for the summer, helped him regain focus. 

"Speaking to the management at lunchtime, I was pretty down on myself and frustrated, but Jimmy [Anderson] gave me a great chat, telling me to focus on the skill side of things and moving the ball, rather than the outcome, and I really feel like that is what I tried to do,” Wood said.