Windies' Kraigg Brathwaite reported for suspect bowling action

The Windies’ off-spinner Kraigg Brathwaite has been reported with a suspect bowling action during the first Test against England, which the hosts won at Edgbaston on Saturday. The match officials’ report, which was handed over to the Windies’ team management, cited concerns about the legality of the 24-year-old’s bowling action.

Brathwaite’s bowling action will now be scrutinized further under the ICC process relating to suspected illegal bowling actions reported in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. He is required to undergo testing within 14 days, and, during this period, Brathwaite is permitted to continue bowling in international cricket until the results of the testing are known.

He bowled just 6 overs in the first innings of the day/night Test against England and couldn’t find a success. With the bat, he bagged a duck in the first innings but played a better knock in the second and scored 40 runs opening the innings which was the only knock of substance for the team as they were bowled out for 137.

Brathwaite has appeared in 38 Tests for West Indies and scalped 12 wickets with the best of 6/29 against Sri Lanka. More than bowling, his role with the bat hold more importance to the team as he has scored 2355 runs at an average of 35.14 and is the only batsman in the current team with over 2000 Test runs.

Day/night Test

Coming into the series not a lot of people placed their bets on the visitors to do well against the English team that just beat South Africa 3-1. Batting first, England posted a mammoth 514/8 decl in the first innings powered by a century from skipper Joe Root and a magnificent 243 from former captain Alastair Cook. In response, West Indies couldn’t quite deal with the combination of the pink ball and James Anderson.

The English pace trio of Anderson, Stuart Broad and Toby Ronald-Jones accounted for 7 wickets to wrap them up for 168. Root has little hesitation to ask them to follow on and a similar display from his bowlers and the opposition batters followed who couldn’t last the duration of an entire session to concede the Test by an innings and 209 runs.