Battle with Mark Wood' harsh'- Kavem Hodge

" Hey, I have a wife and kids at home", Hodge tells Wood amid speed storm

Kavem Hodge described his fight with Mark Wood as "brutal" but said that just increased the level of happiness after his lady Test hundred provided a platform for West Indies to beat up on day two of the next match of the series against England in Nottingham.

Hodge, 31, said that a decade was" a dream come true" despite having doubts about whether he would ever have the chance to play at the highest level. Hodge, who is in his fifth Test, said that. West Indies came to a nearby of 351 for 5 after his 120 innings, which included a partnership of 175 with other Dominican Alick Athanaze, who had already overmatched their first-innings score.

" It's a dream come true, you play the game from a boy growing up that's something that you want to do, especially at the highest degree, in England against England", he said. " I'm really happy and satisfied about it, specifically even the position of the team, it's always nice to support the group's cause".

Hodge properly came through a short-ball exam from England's strike during the day, led by Wood. 24 of the 29 balls Wood faced were either small or short of a good size, with the majority exceeding 90 mph.

" It was brutal", Hodge said. " It's not every day you stone up and you face one that's bowling more than 90mph every single game. There was one level, I made a joke to him, I said: ' Hey, I have a wife and kids at house.' But I believe that improved the experience for the centuries. Test cricket is harsh, it's hard, it's emotionally draining. To practice that, facing people like Mark Wood, it was difficult but it was satisfying".

While Hodge ducked and weaved efficiently, as well as putting aside some boundaries on the move, Athanaze was struck on the helmet by Wood- prompting an emotive response from his batting partner.

" I flinched. I anticipated being hit before him, but that did n't happen. But bravo to him that he bounced up well and was able to stand his ground and press on more.

" We always bird great together, play for the same company back house, we've had a lot of great partnerships," Hodge added". He's more intense than I am, I'm more of an evaporator, but I tend to go under the sensor and go about my business slowly. Usually enjoyable to spend time with him at the wicket.

Although Athanaze fell for 82 when flashing Ben Stokes to gully, Hodge stuck to it and finally brought up three images with a blow down the ground off Harrison. His sound of assent, which was followed by leaping into the hands of Jason Holder mid-pitch, made apparent how much the second meant to him.

" It was incredible," Hodge told Sky Sports". I think from 97 I blanked out … I was simply trying my best to stay in the moment and he bowled a large, flourishing inswinger and everything was just a haze, all just happened in the moment. I told Jason I was also pinching myself after the party, I had n't grasped it already."

Hodge acknowledged that he had feared he would not advance way after frequently being overlooked for selection, and that he only made his Examine debut on the Australian tour in January after playing three ODIs against the UAE last year.

" There were times when you start to doubt yourself, when you were n't getting the opportunity, "he said". Due to Covid, there were times when the team was needed to make the Test team, and we had a "best vs. best" scenario where they divided the crew into two and had warm-up activities to choose the team. I believe I've participated in that six or seven times, with the coach or selector saying," We're not going to find you, we're looking in this way."

" But every time I went to a best versus ideal, it took a little bit out of me but I'm glad that I stuck with it and stuff are working out, so I'm glad for that".

After half being dismissed for less than 150 in the first Analyze at Lord's, a game that lasted only seven sessions, West Indies were exposed as a credible opponent. But Hodge said that the travellers had been focused on understanding from their errors and was pleased to have helped capitalise in more favourable circumstances.

" It was a matter of staying good, we're not the only team who have lost a Test match two days. It's just a matter of learning from it, the problems are fresh for a lot of us- this is my first day to England, so it's just a matter of learning fast, adapting to situations and finding ways to improve. And when we get the opportunity to bats, taking it full. As we've seen, it was a very good bat wicket, so it was imperative that when we got the opportunity we stay in, drill deep and put our team in a nice place".