England’s Smith and Root shine on Day 2 against West Indies
On the second day of the third Test between England and West Indies, Joe Root’s impressive 87 along with Jamie Smith’s crucial unbeaten 57 helped England narrow the deficit. The day started with England struggling at 54/5 but ended with the team at 274/7, just 8 runs away from leveling scores with West Indies.
Root and Smith partnership
Root and Ben Stokes built a century stand before Smith joined Root to guide England closer to West Indies’ total. Alzarri Joseph was hit for boundaries by Stokes and Root in the second session. Stokes reached his 33rd Test fifty while Root became the seventh player to cross 12,000 Test runs. However, Stokes fell to a short ball from Alzarri after reaching a milestone of his own – his 100th Test wicket.
Smith then took charge, scoring boundaries and rotating the strike effectively. Despite a minor setback with Root’s dismissal, Smith continued his fine form, reaching another fifty and forming a strong partnership with Chris Woakes to reduce the deficit further.
Early setback for England
England faced early troubles as they lost five wickets with just over 50 runs on the board. West Indies missed a chance to dismiss Root early in the day, but eventually found success with quick wickets. Root, undeterred, continued to play his shots and set new records, crossing significant run milestones along the way.
With a thrilling day of cricket, the match remains finely poised with West Indies leading by just 8 runs as England look to turn the tide in their favor in the upcoming sessions.