England vs West Indies, Day 3: List of key takeaways
West Indies gained a precious lead on Day 3 of the ongoing first Test against England at the Ageas Bowl. Earlier, the likes of Jason Holder and Shannon Gabriel ignited England's batting collapse. The Ben Stokes-led side was bundled out for 204 in the first innings. On the other hand, the Caribbean batsmen looked in control, as they took a lead of 114 runs.
WI started the third day on 57/1 with Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope in the middle. Hope departed early on, while Braithwaite compiled a resounding 65. Shane Dorwich (61) propelled the visitors to 318 before their innings folded. While James Anderson scalped three wickets, Ben Stokes claimed four scalps. England trail by 99 runs after finishing on 15/0 at stumps.
It was a rather ordinary day for the England fast bowlers as West Indies continued to extend the lead. Although Anderson and Stokes troubled the batsmen on several occasions, the duo lacked consistency. Meanwhile, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood seemed rusty, with the former returning wicketless. The England seamers also produced less swing as compared to their West Indian counterparts.
England skipper Ben Stokes reached a special milestone on Day 3. Having removed West Indian Alzarri Joseph in the final session, he picked up his 150th Test wicket. Stokes became the second fastest (after Garry Sobers) to achieve the double of 4,000 runs and 150 wickets in Test cricket (64 matches). The list also includes Ian Botham, Jacques Kallis, Kapil Dev and Daniel Vettori.
Wicket-keeper Shane Dorwich rescued the West Indies innings after they were reduced to 186/5. He shared a crucial 81-run stand with Roston Chase as the visitors crossed the 250 mark. Even after Chase's dismissal, Dowrich managed to take West Indies past 300. Interestingly, he had slammed an unbeaten ton (116) in the 2019 Test series against England, at home.
West Indies enjoyed a fruitful day, gaining a lead of 114 runs in the first innings. Notably, the visitors have lost mere three Test matches after garnering a first-innings lead of over 100. In 165 such matches, they have won 102 and drawn 59. It remains to be seen if the visitors add one more win to their name.
