Root ton, Anderson strikes leave Windies facing defeat
GROS-ISLET (SAINT LUCIA): After England skipper Joe Root slammed a fighting 122, James Anderson was at his destructive best in blowing away the West Indies top-order batting to put the visitors on course for a massive victory at lunch on the fourth day of the third and final Test at the Darren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia on Tuesday.
Set the improbable target of 485 after Root declared his side’s second innings at 361 for five following his dismissal, the home team crashed to 35 for four with Anderson taking the first three wickets.
Mark Wood, whose raw pace earned him his first five-wicket haul on Day Two, added to that tally with the wicket of Shai Hope just before the interval to leave Roston Chase and Shimron Hetmyer with the task of bringing some respectability to a West Indian innings which seemed to be in freefall amid the carnage wreaked by Anderson.
He triggered the slide with just the third delivery of the innings when John Campbell, facing his first ball, sliced a drive to Moeen Ali at gully. Campbell’s opening partner, Kraigg Brathwaite, seems doomed to suffer yet another defeat as stand-in captain and offered little resistance himself to Anderson when he prodded indecisively at a fulllength delivery and Ben Stokes held the catch at second slip.
Worse was the follow for the West Indies when Darren Bravo, troubled by a finger injury which kept him off the field for the entire England second innings, followed a delivery from Anderson for Root to complete a comfortable catch at first slip.
GABRIEL WARNED
On Monday, West Indies fast bowler Shannon Gabriel was warned by on-field umpires for using abusive language following an interaction with Root, even as the England skipper ensured complete dominance.
The verbal exchange between Gabriel and Root was the talking point on Day 3 with umpires Rod Tucker and Kumar Dharmasena having a word with Gabriel soon after the episode. According to the Guardian newspaper, Gabriel’s comments were not picked up by stump microphones but Root was heard telling the bowler: “There’s nothing wrong with being gay”.
Root refused to divulge what Gabriel said when asked about the incident at the end of day’s play, saying it should stay on the field. “It’s Test cricket and (Shannon) is an emotional guy trying to do everything he can to win a test match. Sometimes people say things on the field that they might regret,” the report quoted Root as telling reporters. Brief scores at lunch: England 277 and 361/5 decl (J Root, 122, J Denly 69, J Buttler 56; S Gabriel 2-95) vs Windies 154 and 35-4 (S Hope 14; J Anderson
3-7, M Wood 1-16)