Mark Wood named in 12-man England squad for first Ashes Test against Australia in Perth

Wood came through a rigorous bowling session in practice on Tuesday, confirming himself fully fit having suffered a late injury scare in England's warm-up match against the Lions last week.

Wood was seen delivering a fiery spell, including to captain Ben Stokes, and seems likely to make the final XI should he pull up well in the next couple of days.

The prospect of a green pitch in Perth, similar to the one which saw 17 wickets fall on day one of last year's Test match against India, has seemingly pushed England towards fielding a five-pronged pace attack that will also feature Jofra Archer and Stokes himself.

Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has been included in the 12-man squad, should England decide they want to add variety to their attack, especially if some grass if taken off the wicket at the Optus Stadium before Friday's start.

Meanwhile, Australia will hand debuts to opener Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett.

As expected, Marnus Labuschagne returns at number three, with Cameron Green replacing Beau Webster in the all-rounder spot.

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