Kraigg Brathwaite, the Windies opener, said spending time in the middle was key to score runs on a “tough” Antigua pitch.
A string of 40s from the top three, and 30s from Darren Bravo and Shane Dowrich helped the Windies overhaul England’s first-innings 187 and reach 272/6 at stumps on the second day, claiming a crucial lead of 85 runs.
That was particularly commendable given the nature of the surface at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. It was vivid green with variable bounce, and the hosts had to dig deep to get their runs. Only 70 runs were scored in the first 33 overs, but John Campbell (47 off 118) and Brathwaite (49 off 156) did enough to see off the new ball.
“It’s not an easy pitch. Actually, it’s quite a tough pitch to bat on,” Brathwaite later said. “Spending time in the middle is key. You have to play what you see. You can’t worry about what went before, just have to focus on the next ball.”
Even as England clawed their way back into the game with wickets in latter half of the day, Bravo stayed put, facing 165 balls for 33 runs and shared an unbeaten 36-run stand with captain Jason Holder, who remained unbeaten on a 58-ball 19.
“England bowled well, they really tested us in every way. They were quite good and made us work hard,” Brathwaite said. “Bravo has been exceptional. [He] just keeps doing what he’s doing. Once he keeps going with the skipper, that will put us in a really good position.”
The first-innings lead put pressure on England, for whom winning this Test is a must to stay alive in the series. The visitors lost the first game in Barbados by 381 runs, and Brathwaite said the Windies were high on confidence after their recent performances.
“With a lead of 85, once we start well tomorrow, that will be great for us. The confidence is high in the camp. We are still underdogs but we’re doing a great job,” he said.
“Six days of cricket so far and we have been very disciplined. We were very impressive in the first match in Barbados and we have carried that discipline into this match here. We’re in a good position but we don’t want to get too far ahead … still work to do to win the match.”
