Overview
- Wood reported left-hamstring stiffness after eight overs against the England Lions and was sent for a precautionary scan, with local reports noting even a minor strain could rule him out of the Perth Test starting November 21.
- Ben Stokes marked his first match since July with 6-52 as the Lions posted 382, though footage showed most wickets came from leg-side catches off short balls and England's other quicks proved expensive.
- England signaled a seam-first approach by omitting frontline spinner Shoaib Bashir, using Joe Root as the spin option in their only red-ball warm-up at Lilac Hill.
- Former players questioned England's light preparation, while Stokes defended the plan and promised intense final training sessions given scheduling limits on state opposition.
- Jofra Archer's limited recent red-ball workload drew fresh scrutiny of the pace unit's durability during a compressed five-Test tour, with Brydon Carse unavailable for the match due to illness.