Mark Wood: England star says team have 'point to prove' in bid for first Test series win in India since 2012

Mark Wood says England are determined to do what so few teams have been able to achieve in the past and win a Test series in India.

The five-Test tour of India gets under way in Hyderabad on Thursday, January 25 and you can catch all the action live on TNT Sports.

England have not won a series in India since 2012 but fast bowler Wood admits England have nothing to lose.

“Not many teams come here and win,” said Wood. “It's a free hit, to be honest.

“We've created history in the past. We could go down in flames, but we will give it a good go.”

Since their 2-1 win in 2012, England have lost 4-0 in 2016 and then 3-1 in 2021 when they’ve toured India.

Brendan McCullum’s side will be without right-hander Harry Brooks, who pulled out from the tour for personal reasons, but India will also be missing key man Virat Kohli after his withdrawal.

The 35-year-old is considered one of the best batsmen of all time but will miss the opening two Tests, also for personal reasons.

While it will make the prospect a little easier, Wood admitted there’s more to life than cricket.

“I don't know what is going on in his personal life, but there are bigger things than cricket,” Wood added.

“Hopefully he's going to be alright. It's obviously a big impact cricketing-wise because he's one of the best players in the world, one of the best players ever.

“In terms of cricket, it's a plus that we're not having to bowl to Virat Kohli. I'm sure he'll play some role in the series. Away from the cricket, we wish him all the best.”

It will be England’s first return to India since their dismal Cricket World Cup defence towards the end of last year.

And Wood, who was part of the squad that lost six of nine group games to miss out on a semi-final spot, said he and his team-mates have got a “point to prove”.

“We came here with big expectations and we didn't live up to it - nowhere near up to it,” Wood continued.

“It just didn't go well. We wanted that chance to create something as a group and we fell well short.

“It really hurt for a while, but that's why that was the hunger to come back into this environment. I'm ready to try to prove that was just a one-off.”

TNT Sports will become the new official broadcast home of England men’s tours of India in 2024, 2025 and 2028.

TNT Sports has also agreed a deal to show exclusive live coverage of every red-ball and white-ball international series played in India for the next five years.

Cricket fans will not miss a single delivery, boundary or wicket when England begin their five-Test tour in India, starting on Thursday, January 25 in Hyderabad.

The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.

You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.