England opted to bowl first in the opening Test against West Indies, giving James Anderson a shot at surpassing Shane Warne's record of 708 wickets. However, it was youngster Harry Brook who stole the show with a sensational one-handed catch to dismiss opener, Mikyle Louis.
The decision paid off early as England put the West Indies on the back foot, restricting them to 61/3 in the first session. Gus Atkinson impressed with two wickets, while skipper Ben Stokes also chipped in with a dismissal. But all eyes were on Brook, whose athleticism proved to be a major factor in England's strong start.
With the West Indies batting first, the 22nd over saw Brook positioned at third slip. Stokes sent down a full delivery that Louis went for defensively. Misjudging the length, Louis produced a thick outside edge that rocketed towards the fielder. In a breathtaking display of athleticism, Brook launched himself into a full-stretch dive, snaring the catch with reflexes that seemed to defy time. The stunned silence from his teammates was broken only by Stokes' reaction, which perfectly captured the awe of the moment.
Stokes erupted in a celebratory hug with Brook after the catch, the disbelief evident on his face. The dismissal sent Louis packing for a well-played 27 off 58 balls. Unfortunately for the West Indies, the top order continued to crumble. Skipper Kraigg Brathwaite managed just 6 runs before being trapped lbw by Atkinson. Kirk McKenzie followed soon after, dismissed by the same bowler for a single run. England tightened their grip on the first session, putting the West Indies batting line-up under immense pressure.
WATCH THE HARRY BROOK'S STUNNING CATCH HERE
Day 1 saw England firmly in control at Lord's as they bundled out West Indies for a paltry 121 riding on Gus Atkinson's back-breaking spell of 7/45. The highlight of the session was undoubtedly Harry Brook's stunning catch, but all eyes remain on James Anderson in his 188th Test. The 41-year-old veteran bowler, currently sitting on 700 Test wickets, has a chance to surpass the legendary Shane Warne's record of 708. While Anderson picked up just one wicket in his economical spell of 3 maidens and just 26 runs in 10.4 overs to keep the pressure on the West Indies batters.
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