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KRAIGG Brathwaite, captain of the West Indies Test team, expects spin to “play a big part” in the second match, of the three-Test series, against England, which starts on Wednesday.
The second Test will take place at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados.
Speaking in an interview, after the team’s final training session on Tuesday at the Kensington Oval, Brathwaite said, “(The starting XI is) not finalised as yet but the pitch looks a bit similar to Antigua. I do think spin will play a big part here.”
The first Test, at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua ended in a draw on Saturday.
England, in their first innings, posted 311 with Jonny Bairstow hitting 140, with West Indies responding with 375, courtesy of 123 from Nkrumah Bonner.
In their second turn at the crease, England declared on 349/6 with opener Zak Crawley scoring 121 and captain Joe Root 109. Set a target of 286 to win, the WI closed on 147/4 with Bonner unbeaten on 38 and Jason Holder on 37.
Brathwaite said, “Bonner led the way with the batting, we got 350 in the first innings and we’re trying to repeat that, to be consistent with getting runs. Then the bowling, just being a bit more disciplined in terms of being tighter, (conceding) under three runs an over.”
He added, “Creating that pressure would help, in terms of getting more wickets.”
Fast bowler Mark Wood will miss this Test due to “acute pain” in his right elbow, which he sustained during the WI’s first innings, while fellow pacer Ollie Robinson is still recovering from a back spasm.
Barbados-born England fast bowler Jofra Archer, who has also been out of action for a few months with an elbow injury, has been training with the team at the Kensington Oval.
Asked about Wood’s absence, Brathwaite replied, “He’s a fast bowler, he bowls really sharp. It will be a big miss for England but I think they have quality bowlers so, for us, we have a lot of bowlers to face. Whoever plays, we’ve got to be focused on.”
England seem set to hand a Test debut to pace bowler Saqib Mahmood, who featured in the five-match T20 series against the WI, at Barbados, in January.
Brathwaite was noticeably aggressive with his batting in the first innings at Antigua, with a knock of 55 off 70 balls with seven fours and a six.
“My game wouldn’t change,” he pointed out. “I’ll look to put away any bad balls that may come. I think my balance has improved a lot so it’s helped me to put away some bad balls and hit the gaps even better.”
This will be Brathwaite’s first Test, in front of his home fans, since he was appointed as WI captain in February, 2021.
“I’m very proud to be from Barbados,” he said. “I’m very happy we’ve got a Test match here. I’m looking forward to making the home crowd happy.”
Since the mid-1990s, England fans have easily outnumbered the Barbadian supporters, whenever WI and England play at Kensington.
Brathwaite noted, “To be honest, it’s pretty normal, especially playing against England. A lot of supporters come from England. I don’t mind it. They create a lot of energy.”
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