Some eyebrows were raised when England announced an unchanged XI for the third Test against West Indies. Many questioned why, amid a summer of anticipated rejuvenation for their bowling lineup, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum chose not to introduce another newcomer, especially with the series already clinched.
The rationale was that with three more Tests against Sri Lanka scheduled after a break for the Hundred, opportunities for players like Matthew Potts and Dillon Pennington would naturally present themselves. Mark Wood’s fiery pace had unsettled the opposition at Trent Bridge, while Chris Woakes, reliable in English conditions, was back at his home ground. There was also a desire to see how Gus Atkinson, at 26, would handle playing his third Test within three weeks.
Larry David’s response to that skepticism was pretty, pretty good. With the support of 25,000 lively Brummies in attendance on this sold-out Test day, Atkinson played a key role in bowling out West Indies for 282 in 75.1 overs on a seemingly flat pitch. He delivered outstanding figures of four for 67 over 20 overs, showcasing his brisk, wicket-to-wicket bowling that either posed challenges to batters outside the off-stump or bounced them back with well-timed short deliveries. Atkinson now boasts 20 wickets in his first five Test innings, marking his emergence this summer.
Similar to his counterpart, Kraigg Brathwaite, Stokes was eager to bat at the start of the day. Thanks to his seamers, with Woakes claiming three wickets and his longtime teammate Wood adding a couple more, the England captain got his opportunity.
However, events did not unfold as envisioned. By stumps, the hosts found themselves at 38 for three, as Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett fell to the new ball in consecutive deliveries, and Wood, the nightwatchman, managed only to defend for eight balls.
For West Indies, the day served as a reminder of the value of experience, as their three leading scorers were also their most seasoned players.
Brathwaite composed a solid 61 at the top of the order, contributing to a 76-run partnership with Mikyle Louis, the highest opening stand between West Indian players in England since 2007. Following a dramatic collapse of five wickets for just 39 runs around lunch, Jason Holder, with his 59, alongside Joshua Da Silva, played resilient innings for two hours, ensuring total disaster was averted.
The morning session appeared promising for West Indies, with the crowd settled in as Brathwaite and Louis held their ground for nearly 22 overs before Atkinson, in his second spell, coaxed Louis into a nibble outside off-stump. With the opening created, Atkinson and Wood capitalized on the newcomers’ uncertainties, causing West Indies to stagger to 97 for three by lunch.
Stokes entertained the idea that Wood might reach the 100mph mark during this Test, yet his speeds were slightly lower than at Trent Bridge. Nevertheless, consistently reaching around 90mph is still formidable for many, especially the struggling Kirk McKenzie. He hit three early boundaries but saw his middle stump uprooted by an inswinger, shortly followed by Alick Athanaze getting a short ball from Atkinson that sent him back to the pavilion.
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The afternoon session proved imbalanced again, but this time in favor of England. Wood captured Brathwaite down the leg side with a short ball, with Jamie Smith just managing to cling onto the catch, while Woakes enticed Kavem Hodge to leave a straight delivery. West Indies found themselves at 115 for five, teetering on the brink of collapse. Enter Holder and Da Silva, who withstood the barrage from the short balls; Holder even hitting some impressive shots down the ground off Shoaib Bashir to close the session on a positive note.
Ultimately, it required a well-executed setup from Woakes after tea to break their resolve, as he swung the well-worn Dukes ball into Da Silva’s pads for a muted lbw appeal, then quickly found the edge with an outswinging delivery. Some speculate Woakes may not make the trip to Australia in 18 months and should have been overlooked this summer, but England, still focused on results at home, have a different perspective.
Atkinson, on the other hand, appears to be a valuable asset for the long-term objectives of this project. After Woakes benefitted from Alzarri Joseph’s wild shot, he provided additional proof of his worth. The delivery that bowled a well-set Holder was a gem, angling into the right-hander and moving away just enough to evade the edge and hit the target. His dismissal of Gudakesh Motie was merely spectacular, with the ball deflecting past Smith and Joe Root managing a diving catch running in from slip.
However, once Bashir finally finished off the West Indies innings, England faced a late reminder that a fresh new ball can exploit a flat pitch. Jayden Seales rebounded from his underwhelming previous performance with two wickets, and Joseph clean bowled Duckett. As a result, Root and Ollie Pope will return to the crease on the second morning, with this Test match having already taken several turns.
