West Indies head coach Phil Simmons blamed the lack of hundreds from his batsmen for their 113-run defeat in the second Test against England at Old Trafford on Monday (July 20).
After winning the first Test, Windies had a great to claim the three-match series, but they failed to grab the chance and Simmons believes that his batsmen's failure to convert promising starts into major scores played a role in their massive defeat at Old Trafford.
Following the defeat, the coach said Windies’ batsman needs to make hundreds to win the matches against the big teams since his “bowlers have been doing their jobs”.
In the first innings against England, Kraigg Brathwaite (75), Roston Chase (51), Jermaine Blackwood (55) and Shamarh Brooks (68 and 62) all managed to cross fifty, but none of them got to three figures, while the second innings saw only Sharmarah Brooks (66) and Jermaine Blackwood (55) making fifties.
However, Phil has pinpointed five or six overs on the final day and Stuart Broad’s 3 wicket haul following batting heroic for the tourists' defeat in the second Test against England with the third and final Test set to be played at Old Trafford on Friday (July 24).
Simmons said, “They haven't fired, so we've got to take that into consideration over the next couple of days. We've had five or six fifties and no one has converted to a hundred.”
He added, “It's something that we've been talking about a lot, and no one has taken up that opportunity in this game yet again, so it is disappointing. I think it's critical that our batsmen carry on and make big hundreds. Our batsmen need to make hundreds because our bowlers have been doing their jobs,"
For me, we lost control of the game in five or six overs with the new ball yesterday (Sunday) evening in a place where we were in a good position to bat through the day and then some of today and close out the game. But the spell from Broad is where I think we lost the game.”
The coach is also “concerned” about Shai Hope’s recent form. Simmons signed off by saying: “He's gone four innings without a score (in this series) -- in contrast to how we played over the last five or six months in the other formats, I am concerned now about his form.”
(With AFP Inputs)
