England’s batting woes continued on the second morning of the third Test against West Indies at Edgbaston, as they slumped to 54 for 5 before Joe Root and Ben Stokes steadied the ship with an unbroken 103-run partnership.
Resuming on 38 for 3, England lost Ollie Pope and Harry Brook in quick succession. Pope edged a Shamar Joseph delivery onto his stumps, while Brook was caught behind off Jayden Seales.
Root, who had survived an lbw appeal on 3, played a crucial role in rebuilding England’s innings. He overtook Brian Lara’s 11,953 Test runs to move into seventh on the all-time run-scorers’ list and brought up his 63rd Test fifty.
Stokes provided valuable support, hitting a series of boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking. The pair’s partnership has given England hope of salvaging something from the match, as they trail West Indies by 125 runs at lunch.
West Indies had posted a competitive 282 in their first innings, with Kraigg Brathwaite and Jason Holder scoring half-centuries. England’s bowlers, led by Matthew Atkinson and Chris Woakes, shared the wickets.
