Mikyle Louis and Kavem Hodge spearheaded a strong recovery for the West Indies on Day 3 of the third Test at Edgbaston. The duo's 72-run partnership propelled the visitors into a lead of 57 runs by lunch, despite losing three wickets in the morning session.
Starting the day at 18 off 38 balls, Louis quickly shifted to an aggressive approach, reaching his maiden Test fifty. Hodge, who had an uncertain start with several edges, also found his rhythm, playing confident drives and reaching his second fifty of the series. The pair scored 118 runs in 27 overs, taking the score to 151/5 by the end of the session.
England's bowlers, Shoaib Bashir and Mark Wood, applied consistent pressure with spin and pace. Bashir's sharp turn and Wood's bouncers tested the West Indian batters, resulting in Athanaze's dismissal to a sweep shot and Louis's eventual downfall to Stokes, who caught him at second slip. England missed a chance to further dent the West Indies' innings when Zak Crawley dropped a catch from Jason Holder.
Hodge remained unbeaten at 52, joined by Joshua Da Silva, who faced a short ball attack from Stokes. The West Indies finished the session at 151/5, with a total lead of 57 runs, still needing significant contributions to set a challenging target for England.
Brief Scores:
- West Indies: 282 & 151/5 (Mikyle Louis 57, Kavem Hodge 52*; Gus Atkinson 2-20)
- England: 376