England seamer Josh Tongue has Australia on his radar as he looks to make a comeback in Sydney to end an 18-month injury spell.
Long before Gus Atkinson and Brendan Cass were impressing in the Test arena, Tongue was the budding seamer picked by England to renew their pace attack.
He made his international debut at Lord's in June 2023 against Ireland, in which he impressed for 5 for 66 before returning later that month for a competitive Ashes Cup match.
The encounter was most remembered for Jonny Bairstow's controversial stumping, but newcomer Tongue played a vital role for his team, dismissing David in both innings David Warner and Steve Smith.
But the 27-year-old's progress came to an abrupt halt a few weeks later when he suffered a serious pectoral injury that sidelined him for a year before a planned return was scuppered by a hamstring problem.
Now, he has finally made his long-awaited comeback, training hard during England Lions' tour of Australia and hoping to be in the squad for the unofficial Test against Australia A on January 29.
Dealing with injuries
“It's been a tough time and I feel like I'm an unlucky lad but hopefully I can get my share of it,” Tongue told Cricket.
“I've been building up my fitness and although I know I'm not 100% yet, I'm making good progress.
“If all goes well in the next few weeks, I will have my name on the final game of the tour.
“The pecs feel great, the best they've been in years, and it's good to be back in full run-up mode. I'm starting to bowl to the batsmen again, which I haven't done in a while.
“The first time I pitched to Alex Davis, I just hoped I didn’t hit the side netting, but I knocked him out one time. I still got it!
Are there ash on the card?
England hopes that's the case. Tongue remains highly regarded and if he finds form in the summer with Nottinghamshire, there's every chance he could return to Australia for next winter's Ashes.
If he gets the call, he already knows he has what it takes to match.
“2023 is a fantastic year for me, I've proven that I can take big wickets in big games,” he said.
“I have some family and friends who like to mention (his Ashes wicket) but I know I can do it at that level. If I'm fit and bowl well, hopefully I can get a taste of my return to the England team. Feel.
“I've had some messages. Baz (head coach Brendan McCullum) told me, 'Stay strong through this and everything will be okay on the other side',” I met at a training camp in Cape Town. Here comes (director of cricket) Rob Key.
“Everyone has stayed in touch and been so supportive over the past year. They just want to see me back playing, which is what I want.
“As far as I know, it's a big year and anything can happen. I just want to get this trip done, get a good start to the season with Notts and then we'll see how it goes from there.
“I'm not going to put any pressure on myself but it would be nice to get some breakthroughs under me and get some wickets again.”
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