West Indies spinner Shamar Joseph has been in the top spot with the ball in the second Test match against the England national cricket team. The final match of the series between the teams is underway at the Edgbaston in Birmingham.
After scoring a total of 282 runs, West Indies got off to a flying start with the ball. They got the better of the English batsmen by taking early wickets and putting the hosts under pressure. They took 4 wickets quickly and left the opposition reeling at 54/5.
One of the key architects behind the early wickets was Jayden Seales. The fast bowler took three quick wickets and was well supported by Shamar Joseph. The West Indian bowler, though he did not take as many wickets, bowled impeccable lines and lengths.
Shamar Joseph got the reward for his good bowling by getting the wicket of Ollie Pope. The fast bowler bowled a shorter and wider ball that went off the off stump. The batsman tried to force it off the back foot but was met with a thick inside edge that bounced back and hit the base of the middle stump and sent the batsman packing.
Here is the video:
I’m so excited to see you again! 🤩
Joseph sent Pope and his middle stump packing as WI continued their good work with the ball on Day 2️⃣! 🔥
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— FanCode (@FanCode) July 27, 2024
Ollie Pope piled up 10 runs in just 20 balls. With his wicket, West Indies were reeling at 51/4. After that, things got worse for England as they lost Harry Brook (2). The hosts were under all sorts of pressure as West Indies took five wickets quickly.
With the team under pressure, Joe Root and captain Ben Stokes joined forces and ensured that they bailed the team out of trouble. The duo absorbed all the pressure and ensured that the team got back into the game. While captain Stokes put up a 54-run stand, Root has continued with his golden touch.
Root has scored another half-century and is making sure to help his team surpass West Indies’ total of 282 runs. The batsman hit a vital century in the last game and would be keen to score another and put his team in a dominant position with the bat.
Joe Root overtakes Brian Lara as the leading run-scorer in Test cricket
English batsman Joe Root has continued to show his golden touch with the bat. The right-handed bowler has been brilliant with the bat and during his innings, he surpassed Brian Lara’s mark of 11953 runs to become the seventh-highest run-scorer in the history of Test cricket.
Joe Root, in the last match, scored his 32nd century in a Test and is just a ton away from becoming the England batsman with the most centuries in the history of the longest format of the game. Currently, Alastair Cook has 33 centuries to his name and is at the top of the list.
With the way Joe Root has been batting in the current game, the right-hander looks set to equal Alastair Cook’s record. He has also surpassed the 12000-run mark in Test cricket.