India legend Sachin Tendulkar praised West Indies skipper Jason Holder's "smart" use of off-spinner Roston Chase just an over before lunch on Day 1 of the ongoing second Test against England in Manchester.
The toss was delayed due to bad weather once again, but when it could finally take place, Holder won it and decided to bowl first in overcast conditions. However, English openers Rory Burns and Dominic Sibley kept the visiting attack at bay till the final over of the curtailed, one-hour session.
In the final over, Chase was brought in, as captains do to give break to their fast bowlers in such circumstances. But as it turned out, he got one to grip on a moist deck and had Burns out plumb LBW for 15.
Tendulkar could see merit in that move, as the dampness of the surface in the early part of the day was always going to help the spinners.
"In the 1st session, I noticed a few balls didn't even carry to the keeper off fast bowlers indicating a lot of dampness in the pitch. Smart move by @Jaseholder98 to bring on a spinner on such a track where the odd ball may grip and the other may go straight," the great man tweeted.
The 47-year-old, who continues to retain his amazing enthusiasm for the sport, also lauded the 52-run partnership between Sibley and England captain Joe Root for the third wicket.
"@root66 & @DomSibley in a crucial partnership for England. WI needs to find a way to get breakthroughs while the ball is fairly new. Old Trafford is a hard surface when it dries out hence the ball will become soft. A lot will depend on how the teams play the new ball. #ENGvWI," he wrote at the time.
Root did depart soon after that, edging one through slips off Alzarri Joseph. But his 49-ball 23 and Sibley's yet unbeaten defiant act ensured the hosts batted the difficult period out when they could easily have lost their ground.
Sibley was then joined by all-rounder Ben Stokes and together they saw their team through to the tea interval.
In the last session, the duo batted magnificently well, with Sibley, as he did all day, leaving anything troublesome outside off and ensuring he covers those coming in throughout his 86 not out and Stokes finding a nice balance between defence and aggression for his unbeaten 59. At stumps after 82 overs, the hosts were 207/3.
West Indies bowlers didn't quite find their lines and lengths at the start of play, but Holder (0/33), Kemar Roach (0/37) regained control afterwards and Joseph (1/41) bowled a threatening spell in the second session. Chase's two wickets for 53 also helped the visitors' cause. Shannon Gabriel (0/32) struggled with a niggle.
