Twitter Reactions: West Indies take control after Zimbabwe bowl them out on Day 1

West Indies were bowled out for 219 runs in the first innings of the First Test against Zimbabwe, with massive criticisms coming in for the team for their poor batting performance. However, the side led by Jason Holder turned things on their head on Day 2, with an excellent bowling performance to knock out the home side for a total of just 159 runs.

Zimbabwe, ended their innings on Day 1, without the loss of wickets. Solomon Mire was the first one to walk back to the dressing room, after edging one to the West Indian fielder Brathwaite off the bowling of Kemar Roach for 27 runs. At 44/1, the home side still was in control of the things at Bulawayo. Until the appearance of the leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, the Zimbabwean side looked very comfortable with the bat.

The entry of Bishoo:

The leg-spinner, however, turned the things with his bowling as he knocked out the in-form opener Hamilton Masakadza for 42 runs, before taking the wicket of Brendan Taylor to leave the hosts reeling at 93/3 in the innings. Roach, too with his express pace took the wicket of Sean Williams with the score reading 110/4 as West Indies bowlers began to control things at Bulawayo.

Sikandar Raza and Craig Ervine lost their wickets within the span of six overs, to hand over the match-on-the platter to the visiting West Indian side. At 133/6, there was no way that the home side was closing out on the 219 runs that the West Indian batting line-up managed in the first innings. It was a matter of time for the West Indian bowling unit, who bowled good lengths and over long spells managed to find the weak spots in the home side. The last four wickets for the home side fell over the next 26 runs to leave the away side with a lead of 60 runs.

West Indies began the second innings on a high, with free-flowing boundaries and sixes in the first ten overs to a near-perfect start. However, the West Indian opener Kieron Powell fell to a peach of a delivery from the leggie Cremer to the score of 25/1 to the away side. However, Kyle Hope turned the momentum onto the side of West Indies, with four boundaries in his knock of 32. West Indies were at 88/1, and with a lead of 148 runs, it looks like the away side are running away with the game.

Here are the reactions of the Twitterati’ at the end of Day 2’s play at Bulawayo: