Nottingham, Jul 20 (IANS): The West Indies staged a remarkable fightback after a century from Kavem Hodge and a crucial 175-run partnership with Alick Athanaze in the second Test against England. This effort saw the West Indies mounting a strong reply of 351 for 5 at the end of Day 2 to England's imposing first-innings total of 416.

Responding to the challenge set by their skipper, Kraigg Brathwaite, who had called for an improved batting performance, Hodge and Athanaze rose to the occasion with grit and determination. Reflecting on their partnership at the end of the day, Hodge highlighted their long-standing synergy, developed while playing for the same franchise back home.

"We always bat good together, play for the same franchise back home, we've had a lot of big partnerships. He's more aggressive than I am, I'm more of an accumulator, so I tend to go under the radar and go about my business quietly. Always good to spend time with him at the wicket," Hodge said after the end of Day 2 play.

Playing in only his fourth Test match, Hodge was thrilled to achieve his maiden Test hundred. "It's a dream come true, you play the game as a youngster, that's something that you want to do, especially at the highest level - in England against England. I'm really happy and satisfied about it, especially also the position of the team, it's always good to help the team's cause," he shared, beaming with pride.

The highlight of Hodge's innings was his fierce battle against England's speedster Mark Wood, who relentlessly delivered bouncers at high speed. At one point, a bouncer struck Athanaze on the back of the helmet, causing concern for Hodge. "I flinched. I thought I was going to get hit before him but it didn't happen like that. But kudos to him that he bounced back well and was able to stand his ground and push on further."

Reflecting on the intensity of the day, Hodge recounted a humorous exchange with Wood during his spell. "It was brutal. It's not every day you rock up and you face someone that's bowling more than 90mph every single ball. There was one point, I made a joke to him, I said: 'Hey, I have a wife and kids at home.' But I think that made the century a lot more satisfying. Test cricket is brutal, it's challenging, it's mentally draining. To experience that, facing guys like Mark Wood, it was tough but it was satisfying."