Simmons hopeful about WI batting

CHATTOGRAM, Bangladesh – With West Indies’ batting set to come under heavy scrutiny in the upcoming Test series, head coach Phil Simmons said he has been encouraged by his side’s approach on a challenging wicket during the three-day tour match last weekend.

Describing the pitch at the MA Aziz Stadium as “slow and low”, Simmons said the Windies batsmen had shown great application to post totals of 257 and 291 in the drawn encounter.

Interim captain Kraigg Brathwaite, his opening partner John Campbell and uncapped Nkrumah Bonner all stroked half-centuries while all-rounders Raymon Reifer and Kyle Mayers along with wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva all got decent starts.

“I was buoyed in a way that guys spent time at the crease. The wicket wasn’t the best and I can’t say we will or we won’t get a wicket similar to it [in the Test series] but it wasn’t the best,” Simmons said.

“It was slow, it was low. The fact that their attitude towards batting on a slow, low pitch that was turning, was great to see.”

West Indies are expected to be fed a heavy diet of spin in both Tests with the pitch here at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium and at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka – the venue for the second Test – likely to produce spin-friendly conditions.

In the three-day match against the Bangladesh Cricket Board XI, West Indies found themselves up against 18-year-old leg-spinner Rishad Hossain who claimed five wickets in the first innings, and off-spinner Saif Hassan who finished with a brace in the second innings.

Simmons said much of the focus of preparation for the opening Test had been readying the West Indies for Bangladesh’s spin attack.

“We’ve been working predominantly on playing spin and using the crease, using your feet, sweeping – whichever one suits the particular batsmen the best,” the former Test player said.

“So we’ve been just pushing them to work hard at all of the disciplines of playing spin.”

West Indies have travelled with frontline off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall who took five wickets in the first innings of the tour game, and left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican who picked up three wickets in the same innings.

But with the likes of seamers Shannon Gabriel, Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph and Reifer in the squad, Simmons said he still expected the faster bowlers to play a role in the series.

“There is always a role for your fast bowlers, for your medium pacers. It’s about them knowing and adjusting to what lengths and lines they have to bowl on these wickets,” Simmons stressed.

“The spinners are always going to have an impact, whichever two of the three main spinners play. So it’s something we’re looking forward to see how much of an impact [they make] and what type of wicket we get, because we haven’t seen the Test wicket for five days now.” (CMC)