Kavem Hodge, who got West Indies out of trouble in the first innings of the second Test, departed early on the first day of the third Test. West Indies, who were 97/3 at noon, got into deeper trouble by losing two wickets quickly after lunch.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite was first out off the last ball of the 29th over, when he played a straight ball to wicket-keeper Jamie Smith. On the first ball of the 30th over, Hodge left a straight ball to Chris Woakes.

The ball was pitched towards the outside stump and remained straight as it castled on the outside stump. Kavem Hodge, the batsman, expected the ball to go off the stumps but the ball remained straight as he misjudged that it was going straight.

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Watch Kavem Hodge lose his poles to Chris Woakes

Kavem Hodge leaves a straight line 😱 image.twitter.com/Sp6v2YJ2MC

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 26, 2024

Hodge, who batted off 171 balls in the first innings of the second Test, lasted just 11 balls as West Indies continued to lose wickets on the opening day of the third Test match.

Mikyle Louis along with his captain Brathwaite added 76 runs for the first wicket. Then in the next 60 runs, West Indies lost five wickets. Their batting could not keep up with the pace of Mark Wood and the channelled bowling of Chris Woakes.

West Indies have already lost the series before this Test match. They lost the first two Test matches and are in a very bad position going into this final Test match as well. The Test series defeat has pushed them back to tenth position in the WTC points table. They have won only one Test match and lost four.

England, meanwhile, have climbed to sixth place in the table. They won the first Test by an innings and 114 runs and the second by 241 runs.

Hodge’s dismissal has exposed West Indies’ lower order against England’s bowlers. Jason Holder and Joshua De Soilva are the last recognised batsmen in the starting XI. The pair will have to form a long partnership and bat throughout the day. With one and a half sessions still to go, West Indies are at risk of being bowled out.

Earlier in the day, the West Indies captain won the toss and opted to bat first. Gudakesh Motie replaced Kevin Sinclair, who broke his arm, as Mark Wood bowled him a rocket. Shamar Joseph is also part of the starting XI and along with Alzarri, Joseph has a big role to play if West Indies are to dream of winning this Test match.

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