CRICKET-Motie is ready to return to the Test line-up after an illness.

BIRMINGHAM, England, CMC – Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie said he was over his illness and was focused on helping West Indies get over the finish line against hosts England in the third and final Test of the current Richards-Botham Trophy Series, starting on Friday at Edgbaston.

The 29-year-old Guyanese withdrew on the morning of the first day of the second Test at Trent Bridge in Nottingham when he woke up feeling ill. He was replaced by compatriot off-spinner Kevin Sinclair for the match. The Caribbean side lost by 241 runs within four days to trail 2-0 in the series.

Motie said he was feeling much better thanks to modern medicine, including a well-known brand of cough drops. He was disappointed he could not take his place in the side after a notable performance in the first Test at Lord’s, which West Indies also lost by an innings and 114 runs in three days.

“I was just playing my role in the team to give the fast bowlers a break and get wickets – and I did exactly that,” he said about his bowling in the first Test when he also picked up the scalps of England master batsman, Joe Root and captain, Ben Stokes.

“I enjoyed that,” he said about dismissing Root and Stokes. I think they are the two biggest wickets I have to my name so far in my career.

“We all know how good they are. I put in a lot of work heading into the Test match and was happy with my success so far.”

Motie has taken 24 wickets at 20.83 apiece in six Tests. He has offered Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite an option for control when run-scoring gets out of hand—as it did during the second Test—and he is likely to play in the coming match.

“I am looking forward to this Test,” he said. “I know we have already lost the series, but there are many reasons I am looking forward to this Test.

“We still have the World Test Championship to consider. We could gain points and see how far we can move up the table.”

He said: “I put in a lot of work after the Twenty20 World Cup heading into the first Test, and it is good that the ball is still coming out of my hand well.

“Right now, we are looking at it one game at a time. We have this next game [at Edgbaston], and that is my focus, so we will try to go out there and give it our best shot.”