NEW DELHI:
Kavem Hodge
and
Alick Athanaze
spearheaded a West Indies comeback on a bright second day of the second Test at Trent Bridge on Friday, guiding their team to 351-5 at stumps, trailing England by 65 runs.
Hodge crafted a smooth 120, marking his maiden Test century, while Athanaze contributed 82. The duo forged an impressive 175-run partnership, capitalizing on favorable batting conditions and vexing the English bowlers.
In response to England's first-innings total of 416, West Indies encountered setbacks in the morning session, losing Mikyle Louis for 21, skipper Kraigg Brathwaite for 48, and Kirk McKenzie for 11.
Louis attempted to hit spinner Shoaib Bashir over the top but was expertly caught by Harry Brook, who ran back from mid-on to complete the dismissal.
Brathwaite, unsettled by a short-pitched ball from fast bowler Gus Atkinson, offered a straightforward catch to Ollie Pope at short leg.
McKenzie experienced a momentary lapse in judgment just prior to the lunch break. In an effort to strike Bashir beyond the mid-off fielder, he instead launched the ball directly into the grasp of England captain
Ben Stokes
.
Making his comeback to the team, Mark Wood delivered a blistering spell of bowling. One particular delivery clocked in at an astonishing 97.1 miles per hour, setting a new record for the fastest over ever bowled by an English cricketer.
Hodge was given a reprieve on 16 when he nicked a delivery from Wood towards first slip, where Joe Root, the former England skipper, failed to hold on to the catch.
During their partnership, Athanaze and Hodge displayed a balanced approach, combining cautious defense with aggressive shots whenever the bowlers erred in their line or length. Athanaze's innings featured a six and 10 boundaries, while Hodge's knock was studded with 19 fours.
Athanaze was on the verge of achieving his maiden Test century when his innings was cut short by Stokes, as the batsman chopped the ball straight to Brook at gully.
However, his teammate Hodge managed to reach the coveted three-figure mark before falling victim to an lbw decision off the bowling of
Chris Woakes
.
As the day drew to a close, Jason Holder remained unbeaten on 23, while Joshua Da Silva was not out on 32. The West Indies will be looking to capitalize on their position and secure a first-innings lead when play resumes in the morning.
The visitors find themselves trailing in the three-Test series, having suffered a heavy defeat by an innings and 114 runs in the opening match at Lord's.
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