3rd Test
Day-2 Morning Session Highlights:
Joe Root and Ben Stokes has spearhead England’s comeback with a century partnership
At the Lunch of Day-2:
West Indies scored 282 (1st Innings), where as England scored 157/5 (1st Innings).
So, finally West Indies lead by 125 runs.
Joe Root and Ben Stokes spearheaded England’s recovery in the first session on Day 2 of the third Test, after being rattled by West Indies early on.
Starting the day at 38/3, having lost the openers and nightwatchman Mark Wood in the final session on the opening day, England slipped to 54/5 within the first 30 minutes of Day 2.
Root (58) and Stokes (48) then joined forces to establish an unbroken 103-run partnership, taking England to 157/5 at Lunch, still 125 runs away from West Indies’ first innings total.
West Indies missed a chance to dismiss Root early in the day.
Jayden Seales hit him on the pads with an inswinger, and the lbw appeal was turned down.
Replays later revealed that a review would have overturned the decision.
However, West Indies soon found success as Shamar Joseph got Ollie Pope to inside-edge one onto the stumps.
Harry Brook departed in the next over, poking at a delivery outside off to edge to the ‘keeper, as Seales became the fifth youngest West Indian to reach the 50-wicket milestone.
The quick wickets did not prevent Root from playing his shots.
Having surpassed Brian Lara’s tally of 11,953 runs to take the seventh spot among leading run-scorers in Test cricket, Root struck a few boundaries off Alzarri Joseph.
Ben Stokes had an edgy start but hung in to build a partnership with Root, with both batters scoring at a good pace.
Root also surpassed Alastair Cook’s tally of 869 runs to become the leading run-scorer at Edgbaston and, along with Stokes, helped England cross the 100-run mark in the first hour.
West Indies lost a review early in the second hour after they opted for the DRS despite Shamar striking Stokes on the thigh pad.
The partnership crossed 50 in the same over, and a few overs later Root brought up his half-century.
West Indies bowled a few tight overs before Stokes decided to attack, striking boundaries off Jason Holder and sweeping spinner Gudakesh Motie for a six, as the sixth-wicket pair raised a century stand before the break.
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