On Friday, July 19, Mark Wood made a dramatic entrance into England’s Test team during the second Test against the West Indies at Trent Bridge.

Wood, who wasn’t part of the squad for the first Test as he was given time to recover from the T20 World Cup, was finally brought into the team for this match. With James Anderson retiring, Wood was added straight into the playing XI. He made an impressive comeback, with every ball of his first over clocking well above 90 mph.

Woakes and Atkinson started the bowling for England, covering the first nine overs before captain Ben Stokes brought Wood in. Though he didn’t take a wicket in his first over, he made a strong impression.

Wood Sets New Record for Fastest Over by an England Bowler

In that over, Wood’s six deliveries were all over 92 mph, including one at 96.5 mph. By the end of the over, he had set a new record for the fastest over by an England bowler at home. But Wood didn’t stop there he went on to bowl an even faster third over, with all deliveries over 93 mph and one reaching 97 mph.

As for the match, the West Indies got off to a solid start with openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis putting on 53 runs for the first wicket. Shoaib Bashir broke their stand by dismissing Louis for 21. At the time of writing, the West Indies were 74 for 1 in response to England’s first innings total of 416.

Cricket enthusiasts around the globe were left in awe as James Anderson, the legendary English fast bowler, took to the field for what might be his final Test match against the West Indies. A career that spanned nearly two decades, marked by remarkable consistency and unparalleled skill, was celebrated with a performance that reminded everyone why Anderson is considered one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the sport.

The Final Test: England vs. West Indies

As England took on the West Indies in what was expected to be Anderson’s swansong, the match carried a significant emotional weight. England’s batter set a solid foundation with a 250-run lead in the first innings, providing Anderson with the perfect stage to showcase his skills one last time.

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Anderson’s magic on Day 2

With England in a commanding position, Anderson opened the bowling on Day 2, determined to make a lasting impact. His first major strike came when he dismissed West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite with a superb inswinger. This was a vintage Anderson delivery, one that left the batter completely flummoxed and reaffirmed Anderson’s mastery over swing bowling.

The Art of swing bowling

Anderson’s ability to swing the ball, both conventionally and reverse, has been a cornerstone of his success. His inswinger to Brathwaite was a perfect example of his skill – the ball dipped low and swung back sharply, deceiving the batter and hitting the stumps.

Second Spell: Anderson’s 703rd wicket

Later in the day, Anderson returned to claim his 703rd Test wicket by dismissing Alick Athanaze. This dismissal further dented the West Indies’ hopes and showcased Anderson’s relentless pursuit of excellence. By the end of Day 2, the West Indies were reeling at 79/6, staring at an innings defeat.

A Star is Born: Atkinson’s debut

While Anderson prepared to bid farewell, another pacer made headlines. Gus Atkinson, a 26-year-old debutant, announced his arrival on the Test stage with a sensational performance. Atkinson’s seven-wicket haul in the first innings of the match was a glimpse into England’s future in fast bowling.

Atkinson’s debut could not have been more impressive. His ability to generate pace and movement troubled the West Indies batters, drawing comparisons with some of the great fast bowlers of the past. His performance ensured that even as Anderson’s career drew to a close, England’s bowling attack remained in capable hands.

A farewell to remember

The atmosphere on Anderson’s last day was charged with emotion. Teammates, opponents, and fans paid tribute to a player who has given so much to the game. Anderson’s farewell was a fitting end to a career that has been characterized by professionalism, passion, and a relentless drive to succeed.

West Indies are sliding badly in white-ball cricket and are probably at their lowest point at the moment. Based on recent form they may not seem like a match for India, but their Test record has been pretty decent in fact. In their last five series, West Indies have only lost one and to make sure the West Indies rise again, they will look at who can turn the tables on the Indian Team from the following.

Kemar Roach

Kemar Roach, at 35 years, continues to get better. He knows how to control the new-ball well, and while he has dropped down on pace the control he provides is incredible. His numbers at home, on the dry and dead West Indies tracks are even better making him a pretty effective leader of the attack.

Jason Holder

Jason Holder is one of the superstars in the line-up, although he often flies under the radar. He will be coming in a little devastated given his performances in the Qualifiers, particularly in the super over against Netherlands where he gave 30 runs. With the Test side though, Jason Holder provides control with the old ball, something most pacers do not like to bowl with. Despite not having much pace, his height to allows him to get awkward bounce making him all the more effective with the older ball.

Alzarri Joseph

Alzarri Joseph has been the enforcer and trump card of this attack. He was their go to bowler on a tough tour of Australia and his pace can be discomforting for batters. With the ability to touch the 150kph mark with ease, Alzarri Joseph has the raw pace to rattle batters and a mean bouncer which has helped him pick more than half of his wickets in the last four years.

Jermaine Blackwood

Jermaine Blackwood isn’t a very known name yet in Test Cricket but he has silently been doing a fine job for West Indies. Known for his quick rate of scoring, Blackwood loves to keep the scoreboard ticking and can shift the momentum with ease in quick time.

Kraigg Brathwaite

Kraigg Brathwaite, like Dean Elgar and Dimuth Karunaratne, falls under the category of underrated and silent openers. He is one of the most stubborn openers going around and spends a really valuable amount of time out in the middle making life easier for the batters around him. Looking at his batting though leads to a contrast with the batter getting beaten and into the most awkward positions. His style though proves to be very effective which is why he is one of the best openers going around in Test Cricket today.

The name Chanderpaul has a rich presence in West Indies cricket history, and Tagenarine Chanderpaul carried the legacy forward by becoming just the tenth player from the region to convert his maiden Test hundred into a double-ton. The opener was a study in concentration during his unbeaten 207 off 467 balls, helping the visitors declare on 447 for 6 on day three of the first Test against Zimbabwe.

Kraigg Brathwaite and Chanderpaul together racked up multiple records as Bulawayo finally saw a full day’s play with the sun shining brightly after two rain-hit days. In reply, Innocent Kaia led the way with an unbeaten fifty on debut and Zimbabwe moved to 114 for 3, still trailing West Indies by 333 runs. With 99 overs lost to rain and West Indies managing to score just 221 runs in 89 overs across the first two days, they needed to up the rate to have any chance of forcing a result, and Brathwaite took on the challenge.

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Kraigg Brathwaite and Chanderpaul racked up multiple records for West Indies

He was proactive from the get-go and brought out a number of shots that were at odds with his naturally defensive style of play. He struck Richard Ngarava for three successive fours in the third over of the day before slamming Victor Nyauchi for two more. Brathwaite hit six fours in his first 16 balls of the day, and soon brought up a third score in excess of 150 in Test cricket. He was rather agricultural in his shot-making, often moving in his crease and looking for gaps on the on side, a method probably inspired by Zimbabwe’s seven-two off-side heavy field.

Chanderpaul was more measured in his approach and collected a four only in the 21st over of the day. But he rotated the strike at every chance possible. Zimbabwe also had their moments in the extended first session. There were a couple of close run-out appeals against Chanderpaul, while debutant wicketkeeper Tafadzwa Tsiga missed a stumping chance when Brathwaite was on 159. Soon after, Brad Evans failed to hold on to a tough chance to his right in his follow-through with Brathwaite on 167.

Zimbabwe vs West Indies: After a wet outfield claimed the first two sessions on day 2 in Bulawayo, gritty centuries from Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul saw West Indies extend their grip on the first Test against Zimbabwe.

Only 51 overs were played on a rain-curtailed opening day, and West Indies – resuming from 112 for 0 – made the most of the 38 overs on offer on the second. Overnight rain meant that even though covers were off early on Sunday, the outfield was not fit for play and after several inspections, it was decided that the game would begin after tea. Both batters began the day on 55, and while Chanderpaul began to rotate strike better than on Saturday, it was Brathwaite who got the first couple of boundaries away.

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West Indies is in a really good position after 2nd day of 1st Test Match

With more than three sessions in the game already lost, the two openers upped the tempo, increasing the run rate from 2.03 on day 1 to 2.86 on day 2. The Zimbabwe bowlers toiled away again, but for the second day in a row, they had no wickets to show. Brathwaite brought up his 12th Test century in 226 balls in the 82nd over with a late cut past slip off left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza. His knock was predominantly about strike rotation and showcased excellent communication with Chanderpaul when running between the wickets.

He scored just five boundaries while making his century; the lowest boundary count in a Test century since 2002 is four. Throughout the two days, Brathwaite and Chanderpaul took risky singles, even after playing the ball to close fielders. This meant Zimbabwe had a few opportunities, but nothing clear cut, as the two openers kept the scoreboard ticking despite not being able to find the boundary with the kind of regularity they would have liked.

Preview

West Indies Vs England: England begin their fightback in Test Cricket after a disastrous year. They lost in India, and are currently trailing against India at home, and were nowhere near competitive in the Ashes. England were way to short on talent, and their stubborn mindset showed through the season. With consistent losses, England are looking to make changes, but some of the changes continue to look funny.

England have dropped their best ever fast bowlers in James Anderson and Stuart Broad. The pair were good in Australia and the closest to competing in a tough tour, but find themselves dropped as England ring in changes. The dropping of Dawid Malan was also interesting as Malan along with Root was the only batter to counter the Australians.

There are a lot of interesting changes, but the intent seems good and England look like they are finally taking Test Cricket seriously. They are back in the Caribbean, a region which could be considered as the starting point of their Test downfall. England toured the Caribbean in 2019, and lost the West Indies Vs England Test series badly, getting all-out for 77 at a point. The West Indies were brilliant and seem to have a special liking for England.

Recent numbers against the English team have been good with the West Indies winning Tests in England on their last two visits, and winning the previous series. They have a very good record in West Indies Vs England Tests at home, and the fast-bowling attack looks scary, which is a strong sign for the West Indies.

Match Details

Match: West Indies Vs England

Date: 8^th March 2022

Time: 7:30 PM IST

Venue: Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua

Weather Report

The weather for the West Indies Vs England Test is clear with slight cloud cover. There is minimal chance of rain throughout the West Indies Vs England Test.

Pitch Report

Off late, surfaces in the Caribbean have been dry and dead. High pace will be needed to extract bounce on the surface, and the pacers will have an advantage.

West Indies Vs England, Playing XI

England Playing XI

Zak Crawley, Alex Lees, Joe Root (c), Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes (wk), Chris Woakes, Jake Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Mark Wood

West Indies Playing XI

Kraigg Brathwaite (c), John Campbell, Shamarh Brooks, Kyle Mayers, Jermain Blackwood, Jason Holder, Joshua De Silva (wk), Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph, Veerasammy Permaul, Jayden Seales.

Team News

England has announced their twelve ahead of the match and will make a decision on the final eleven ahead of the toss.

Key Players

Chris Woakes

With James Anderson and Stuart Broad dropped and Jofra Archer injured, Chris Woakes will have a lot of responsibility on him. He had a dismal Ashes tour, but will now be taking the new-ball and leading the attack.

Jason Holder

Jason Holder is in a rich run of form and did an exceptional job when England last visited. His height will make him extract bounce with ease at North Sound, and his lower-order batting can also irritate opponents.

West Indies Vs England, Match Tips

England are coming in with a fresh side but are still not too promising in Test Cricket. West Indies have a good record at home against England and should have the upper hand in this West Indies Vs England Test.

Match Prediction: West Indies will win the match.