Gus Atkinson was the star of the show again, picking up 4 for 67 while Chris Woakes (3-69) and Mark Wood (2-52) also delivered with the ball. Fifties from Kraigg Brathwaite and Jason Holder led what appeared to be a below-par first innings 282 in the face of some excellent bowling by Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes. But then Jayden Seales grabbed two of the three England wickets to fall late on a day that yielded 13 in all to level things up.
Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis’ 76-run opening stand preceded a collapse of 5 for 39 in 7.2 overs. Then there was the sixth-wicket union between Holder and Joshua Da Silva, worth 109, undone by Woakes and Gus Atkinson rediscovering the swing which had disappeared for part of the day.
West Indies’ spirited first innings at Trent Bridge, which put them narrowly in front of England, momentarily erased memories of their capitulation at Lord’s. But their second-innings collapse in the second Test relegated all their good work to hope-for-the-future status and much of this first day’s play of the third Test felt like mini versions of that story.
Pitch and Toss
“Exactly the color of a pitch you want to see if you’re a touring side or home side that bats heavy” says Kumar Sangakkara talking about the pitch. “Wispy grass, not much tuftiness for the seam to hold and deviate. The wicket is going to get better and better for batting in the second and third day and spin will come into play” he adds.
Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and chose to bat with one change in the squad as Gudakesh Motie comes in for Kevin Sinclair. England Team skipper Ben Stokes bowling first has made no changes to his playing XI from previous match.
Day 1: Morning Session : Gus Atkinson and England strike late after Brathwaite fifty
A third consecutive 50-plus stand between Kraigg Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis helped West Indies start well in the first session of the third Test but quick wickets late in the session helped England wrest the advantage. Brathwaite was batting on 56, with West Indies going into Lunch at 97/3 on Day 1 at Edgbaston.
Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson kept their lengths full to the West Indies openers in their bid to find the edge, and even went past the bat on a few occasions. But Brathwaite also cashed in on the scoring opportunities, putting away one off the pads from Gus Atkinson for the first boundary, followed by two fours off Woakes – a straight drive and a cover drive off full deliveries.
Mark Wood came into the attack in the 10th over and started with a fullish length before bowling one short to Brathwaite who top-edged it for a four. Louis, meanwhile, got two fours off Woakes who then gave way for Ben Stokes to come into the attack. The England captain and Wood bowled in tandem and employed short-pitch tactics but the West Indies openers were up to the task as they got through the first hour without any damage.
Gus Atkinson came back into the attack and was cover driven for a four by Louis while Stokes found the outside edge of Brathwaite’s bat only for the ball to evade third slip and head to the ropes. Louis then top-edged Gus Atkinson for a four after being hurried into a pull and Brathwaite sliced a four off Stokes as he reached a fifty.
Gus Atkinson ended the opening stand as Louis edged to the ‘keeper to depart for 26. Brathwaite then sliced a four off Wood and Kirk McKenzie got going with three boundaries in an over off Gus Atkinson, cover driving and cutting with a lot of confidence.
McKenzie’s brisk outing was cut short by a pacy delivery from Wood as the ball swung in, beat his defenses and uprooted the middle stump. Alick Athanaze fell off the last ball before Lunch as he inside edged a pull onto the stumps to give Gus Atkinson his second wicket.
Earlier, Louis had faced 22 balls to get off the mark, striking Gus Atkinson through cover point and running two. But, after the first hour, West Indies were 49 without loss, having won the toss. Brathwaite moved to 49 guiding a full Stokes delivery past point and brought up his half-century with a single next ball. It was his first fifty in nine Test innings since July last year.
But Gus Atkinson made the initial breakthrough, drawing an edge with a short ball that was moving away as Louis prodded behind to Smith. For the fifth time in as many Tests innings in his fledgling career, Louis reached double figures but he is yet to pass the 27 he made on debut in the first match of this series at Lord’s. Wood’s pace wasn’t quite what it was at Trent Bridge but it caused West Indies enough problems.
Brathwaite was left doubled up after a nasty knock to the box by a short ball. Then, after Kirk McKenzie had struck three boundaries in four Gus Atkinson deliveries, Wood removed him for 12 in his next over, flattening his middle stump with a 91mph inswinging yorker. Gus Atkinson grabbed his second wicket on the stroke of lunch as Alick Athanaze bottom-edged a short ball which stayed low onto his off stump and West Indies went to lunch at 97 for 3.
Day 1 : Post Lunch Session : Holder, Joshua steady West Indies after flurry of wickets
Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva led West Indies’ recovery against England in the second session of the third Test at Edgbaston after the visitors were derailed by quick wickets on either side of Lunch, including that of half-centurion Kraigg Brathwaite. Holder was batting on 42 and Da Silva on 35 as they put on an unbroken 79-run stand to take West Indies to 194/5 at Tea on Day 1.
Having lost quick wickets leading into the Lunch break, West Indies found themselves in more trouble as the well-set Brathwaite and Kavem Hodge fell in quick succession. Brathwaite was looking in good touch before he gloved a short delivery from Mark Wood down the leg-side to the ‘keeper. Kavem Hodge was a victim of misjudgment and a nice bit of set up from Chris Woakes. Having moved the ball away from the batter in his previous over, Woakes bowled a straight one and saw Hodge shoulder arms to be bowled for 13.
From 76/0, West Indies had slipped to 115/5, with the middle order having a lot of heavy lifting to do. Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva dug in with a watchful partnership while England lost a couple of reviews. Shoaib Bashir was finally introduced into the attack in the 44th over and he was welcomed with a boundary through midwicket by Da Silva.
A paddle shot from Holder off Bashir helped raise the half-century stand for the sixth wicket and the batter continued to attack the spinner, getting a four and a six off successive deliveries, and another boundary in his next over. They also negotiated an over from Wood where he bowled short deliveries to go into the break unbeaten.
The openers registered their third successive fifty-plus stand and were managing regular boundaries, despite not being in full control of some of their shots. But their association came to an end when Gus Atkinson got Louis to edge to the ‘keeper to dismiss him for 26. Kirk McKenzie got going with three boundaries in an over off Gus Atkinson, cover driving and cutting with a lot of confidence.
But his brisk outing was cut short by a pacy delivery from Wood as the ball swung in, beat his defenses and uprooted the middle stump. Alick Athanaze fell off the last ball before Lunch, inside-edging a pull onto the stumps off Atkinson.
Two early wickets in the afternoon session kept the hosts on top. Brathwaite had added just five runs after lunch before he was caught behind down the leg side attempting a pull shot off a Wood shorter ball. Adding to West Indies’ woes, replays suggested that the catch had come off Brathwaite’s right glove, which was off the bat handle at the time.
Just two balls later, Kavem Hodge errantly left a Woakes delivery which angled in towards middle and off stumps and straightened slightly to crash into the top of off.
Day 1: Afternoon session :
Gus Atkinson chimed in with his third, a beauty to remove Holder, the ball pitching on middle and swinging away as the batter tried to play across the line and had his off stump dislodged. Holder’s slow-motion trudge off the field was the perfect illustration of West Indies’ mood at that point.
Gus Atkinson then removed Gudakesh Motie with a short ball which had the batter ducking and thrusting his bat above his head, the ball sailing over a jumping Smith as Joe Root took a stunner diving across from slip and flinging out his hand, where the ball miraculously stuck. Shoaib Bashir, the off-spinning star of England’s second-Test victory took the last wicket when Shamar Joseph hit high down the ground and Crawley, running round from long-off, took the catch.
Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis’ 76-run opening stand preceded a collapse of 5 for 39 in 7.2 overs. Then there was the sixth-wicket union between Holder and Joshua Da Silva, worth 109, undone by Woakes and Atkinson rediscovering the swing which had disappeared for part of the day.
But there was a twist, with both England openers removed with consecutive balls and night watcher Mark Wood also falling as the home side went to the close on 38 for 3, trailing by 244 runs.
Seales had Zak Crawley out edging to Holder with his 12th ball and Alzarri Joseph, who had spilled a return catch off Ben Duckett in the previous over, had him out chopping onto his stumps with the first ball of his next. Wood followed, edging Seales to Holder at second slip as England were given plenty to think about overnight.
Road Ahead for England and West Indies on Day 2
West Indies head back with a spring in their step. They would have loved to be 3 down (or even lesser) after opting to bat on a flat deck, but things have moved at a rapid pace. England sent Wood as a nightwatchman after they lost Crawley last ball of the 4th over, but they surely weren’t expecting Root to walk out to bat. Has been that kinda day for both sides.
Vital contributions from Brathwaite, Holder and Da Silva helped the Windies post a decent first innings score. Gus Atkinson, as ever, was impressive and added another four-fer to his kitty as Woakes and Wood shared five between them. England still 244 behind and it’s advantage West Indies at the moment. The first session on Day 2 is gonna be really crucial for both sides.