KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Captain Jason Holder has urged his struggling batting line-up to improve, especially in the first innings, as West Indies chase an important series-levelling victory against Pakistan in the second Test starting Sunday in Barbados.
The Caribbean side produced two impotent displays with the bat during the opening Test here at Sabina Park, to crash to a seven-wicket defeat, 20 minutes after lunch on the final day.
Holder stressed the importance of a large first innings total, pointing out this was key to putting Pakistan under pressure and laying the groundwork for a positive result.
“We’ve beaten them before in the recent past. It’s just a matter of us ticking all our boxes and we need to hold our chances obviously,” the 25-year-old said.
“We need to get a better start and put up a stronger first innings total. I think many cricket games or Test matches are really set up in the first innings so we need to put up a better first innings total. I think once we do that, I back our bowlers to come out and get 20 wickets.”
West Indies struggled from the outset of the just-concluded Test here, slumping to 71 for five just after lunch on the first day. And though they recovered to score 286, Pakistan piled up 407 in reply to take a first innings lead of 121 runs.
The Windies batting failed again in the second innings. They were tottering on 93 for four at the end of day four and lost their last six wickets for 42 runs on Monday’s final day to be all out for a disappointing 152.
Holder pointed out that opener Kraigg Brathwaite’s twin failure in the game had been a huge blow to the batting group.
“We haven’t been able to get off to good starts during this Test match. If you check the last Test series, we’ve been struggling for an opening partner with Kraigg,” he explained.
“He’s been the guy at the top who has been the rock for us but he didn’t get off in this game and unfortunately so. Going forward, we need to get him going and once he gets going, batters tend to bat around him nicely.”
He added: “It’s a matter of trusting our defence a little bit longer, being able to stand up against the swinging ball up front with the quicks and then when Yasir Shah and the other spinners come in, be a little tighter with our defence.”
Historic Kensington Oval could prove a source of motivation or West Indies. They won their last Test played at the ground two years ago when they stunned England inside four days and also trounced Pakistan by 276 runs when the two teams last met there 12 years ago.
Holder said the focus would be levelling the series, following Monday’s seven-wicket defeat.
“I always feel good going to Kensington Oval. It’s an important game for us obviously, we’re 1-0 down and we would like to level the series going into the last Test match in Dominica.”