Following their loss in the second Test to Pakistan, West Indies captain, Kraigg Brathwaite admitted that there is work to be done and consistent batting is key to their fortunes.
Brathwaite made those disclosures on the sidelines of the 109-loss to Pakistan which resulted in the drawn series since West Indies took the first Test by one wicket.
According to the captain, “We know as batsmen we were not consistent as we want to be and we got some work to do.” He added, “As a batting group, I thought some guys got good starts and looked well. As batters we know we have to carry on and that’s key for us to be honest.”
Only three West Indian batsmen scored half centuries. Jason Holder led the way with 147 runs and moved six places up the ICC Test batting rankings to 37th while Brathwaite ended with 145 runs despite his score of 97 in the first Test. The other batsman with a fifty was Jermaine Blackwood who ended with 135 runs.
Kemar Roach, has the next best aggregate with 58 runs followed by Joshua Da Silva (55) and Roston Chase (53).
Opener, Kieron Powell made 32 runs from his four innings. Kyle Mayers also ended with 32 runs from four innings, three of which were scoreless. Nkrumah Bonner ended with 44 runs including a best of 37. Brathwaite praised the bowling department for their efforts in keeping Pakistan to gettable scores.
“I think as a group we made strides, bowlers once again leading the way. Obviously the second Test, the first innings total let us down but I think as a group we had some good periods, obviously winning a Test match is never easy and I think we just got to keep improving,” he said.
Brathwaite added, “Young Jayden Seales, Kemar Roach, Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, he didn’t get a five-wicket hauls but I thought the job he did, the tightness he brought was amazing, so all the bowlers really stood out for me to kept Pakistan to 2.6 [or] 2.7 run rate was phenomenal.”
Seales became the youngest West Indian to take a five-wicket haul and eventually ended with 11 wickets, the most by any bowler in his side. Roach and Holder both ended with eight wickets.
West Indies will now prepare to go to Sri Lanka later this year where they will play the hosts in two Tests.
