‌ENG vs WI | Twitter reacts to Gritty Windies push hosts on the back foot after Day 1

Following a couple of defeats in the three-match Test series, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite’s decision to bat first panned out well with Mikyle Louis accompanying him in a fifty-plus opening stand. The pair withstood the moving new ball for the first hour before Gus Atkinson removed Louis in the 22nd over to draw the first blood. Right after, Mark Wood was summoned for a second burst and he nailed a pacy in-swinger to castle Kir McKenzie’s middle stump, followed by Atkinson cleaning up Alick Athanaze at the stroke of Lunch with West Indies’ score reading 97/3. 

The visitors incurred a couple of setbacks after the resumption of play with Brathwaite departing for 61 and Kavem Hodge making an error in judging the line of the ball to leave Windies strangled at 119/5 in 30 overs. However, Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva soaked the sudden pressure and kept the scoreboard ticking with strike rotation and subtle strokes. Following their fifty-run stand, Holder’s approach to slog Shoaib Bashir for a six paved the way for Mark Wood’s barrage of bumpers from one end that the Windies pair negated calculatingly, steering the side to 194/5 at Tea.

Holder and Da Silva opted for an aggressive approach at the start of the third session, bringing up quick runs before Woakes drew the wicketkeeper-batter’s outside edge to break the 109-run sixth wicket stand. The pacer got his third scalp in the same spell as Alzarri Joseph was outskilled within the next six overs. In the next over, Holder was cleaned up by Gus Atkinson before Gudakesh Motie and Jayden Seales followed suit to end Windies tally at 282.

With 45 minutes left in the day, England’s positive approach was eclipsed by disciplined bowling from the visitor's fast bowling unit. Jayden Seales drew the first blood by removing Zak Crawley in the fourth over with Alzarri Joseph cleaning up Ben Duckett in the immediate next ball. The idea of Mark Wood as nightwatchman backfired for the hosts as Seales got his number before Joe Root and Ollie Pope withstood the last ten minutes of day’s play as England trail by 244 runs at Stumps, Day 1.

Widies of 80's

The short ball to Ollie Pope from Jayden Seales did reminiscence me of the Windies of 80's in front of my eyes for a second 🫠🔥#ENGvWI

— Dinesh here 🙋‍♂️🇿🇦 (@dinesh_offl_06) July 26, 2024

Best match bowler

Jayden Seales is definitely our best test match bowler at this moment.Shamar has a higher fielding long term imo.

— EDE (@ethan_speedy) July 26, 2024

No joke

Jayden Seales is no joke with the ball. Our best bowler

— Shabba 👌🏿 (@SubZero616) July 26, 2024

Back to form

Jayden seales is finally back to his county form

— Noone (@UdtaS) July 26, 2024

No idea

Gus Atkinson has 20 wickets at 16 in his first five Test innings and I still have absolutely no idea if he's good

— Chris Deeley (@ThatChris1209) July 26, 2024

Finds outside

FINALLY!!



Gus Atkinson finds the outside edge and we have our first 🤩 pic.twitter.com/T8bsaRCHS1

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 26, 2024

What a delivery

That's a jaffa from Gus Atkinson 🤌 #ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/NcijBmFypg

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 26, 2024

Peach

That's a peach from woakes

— Conor 🇾🇪 (@Conor__S22) July 26, 2024

Got his first

Left alone by Hodge, and hits the top of off stump! 🎯



Woakes get his first of the match, West Indies 115/5 https://t.co/krwHGvfJ8w | #ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/pJMag4xi0V

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 26, 2024

Speed gun

WHAT A BALL, MARK WOOD. 🥶👌 pic.twitter.com/waiuF79PIN

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 26, 2024