England enjoyed a productive day in the field, bowling out West Indies for 282 runs on the first day of the third Test at Edgbaston. However, their joy was short-lived as they lost three quick wickets in response. Openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett fell to consecutive deliveries, with Crawley edging to slip and Duckett being bowled. The nightwatchman, Mark Wood, was then dismissed for a duck in the penultimate over, leaving England struggling at 38-3, still trailing by 244 runs.
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and elected to bat first on a pitch ideal for batting. He and Mikyle Louis showed resilience during the opening session, putting on a 76-run stand that raised hopes of a competitive total. However, the West Indies batting crumbled shortly after, losing five wickets for just 39 runs. Mark Wood, bowling at 91mph, removed Kirk McKenzie's middle stump with a brilliant delivery, leaving the West Indies reeling at 115-5.
The West Indies showed resilience through Jason Holder, who anchored a 109-run partnership with Joshua Da Silva. Holder reached his 13th Test fifty, offering some resistance to the English attack. However, the introduction of Chris Woakes proved decisive, breaking the partnership by dismissing Da Silva just short of a half-century. Gus Atkinson quickly followed up by removing Holder, and the West Indies lower order collapsed. Despite England's late dominance, the pitch's apparent ease for batting has left the series wide open.
The West Indies, despite winning the toss and batting first, faced a challenging start on a sunny Edgbaston pitch. England's seamers exploited the conditions, generating plenty of swing throughout the day. Woakes, Atkinson, and Wood consistently troubled the West Indies batsmen, with Mikyle Louis particularly struggling to get going.
Brathwaite and Louis showed resilience, resisting the English attack for 95 minutes. Brathwaite reached his 30th Test fifty during this partnership. However, the breakthrough came when Atkinson dismissed Louis, edging a catch to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith. The floodgates opened shortly after, with the dismissals of McKenzie and Athanaze leaving the West Indies in trouble.
The West Indies continued to struggle after lunch, losing two wickets in quick succession. Brathwaite was dismissed by Wood, caught behind down the leg side. Kavem Hodge followed shortly after, bowled by Woakes. Woakes was particularly effective, bowling with swing and movement, and England looked set to bowl West Indies out quickly.
However, the pitch gradually became easier to bat on, and Holder began to counterattack. He punished Shoaib Bashir, a young off-spinner introduced into the attack, with a six and three boundaries. England's strategy of bowling short to Wood also proved ineffective.
England's fortunes changed after tea when Woakes returned to the attack. He dismissed Da Silva, caught behind, and followed it up with the wicket of Alzarri Joseph, caught at mid-off. Gus Atkinson then removed Holder with a brilliant delivery, leaving the West Indies tail exposed.
Joe Root produced a spectacular catch to dismiss Gudakesh Motie. The ball, a bouncer from Atkinson, flew past wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, and Root, seemingly out of position, took a one-handed diving catch. The innings was eventually wrapped up by Shoaib Bashir, who dismissed Shamar Joseph.
However, the day was not without drama for England. The hosts lost three quick wickets in reply, with West Indies fielding, particularly Jayden Seales and Jason Holder at slip, proving sharp. This left England in trouble at the close of play.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
Jasprit Bumrah snubs MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma to pick India's greatest captain
