West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite has defended his captain Jason Holder's decision to bowl first in the third and final Test against England despite the hosts yet again putting themselves into a commanding position on Day 1 in Manchester.
It was for the second successive time in the ongoing three-match Test series Holder chose to bowl first in the series decider Test on Friday (July 24) despite facing a massive defeat in the second Test against England, knowing the fact that the team that batted first in the last four Tests at the ground went on to win.
Brathwaite told a virtual news conference: “We had a plan to bowl first because of the moisture in the wicket; we felt as a team that we had a chance to utilize it. They got a good partnership later but I don’t think we are out of it. If we come out tomorrow and control the scoring rate, I think we’ll get some wickets.”
West Indies made a fine comeback from the second Test defeat, as the tourists reduced England to 131-4 by tea on the first day of the deciding test at Old Trafford on Friday.
But the hosts managed to return in the game, as they posted 258-4 at stumps after bad light brought a premature close to play with Ollie Pope not out on 91 and Jos Buttler on 56 after an unbeaten 136-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Brathwaite was confident of West Indies’ comeback thorough dot balls in the ongoing final Test against England, saying if the tourists manage to control the scoring rate, they will definitely get the rewards, as they are hoping to retain The Wisden Trophy on English soil.
He signed off by saying, “We’ve got to start back well and look to limit them as much as possible. We will need to build pressure with a lot of dot balls and stop them scoring boundaries. There is no need to force it but if we keep it tight in the morning session, I believe the pressure will bring some rewards.”
(With Reuters Inputs)
