England settle for a draw in the second test as Kraigg Brathwaite reaches an unbeaten fifty to follow up his epic first hundred innings, leading the West Indies to safety on the final day; Joe Root’s side cut the hosts to 39-3 and 93-5 but can’t take the last five wickets; series tied 0-0 with a Test to play
Joe Root shows his frustration that England are unable to get the last five wickets needed for victory in the second Test in Barbados.
England captain Joe Root admitted he could have risked a bolder statement after his team failed to force a final-day victory in the second Test against the West Indies in Barbados.
England took five second innings wickets from the West Indies after setting the hosts up for a 282 target from 65 overs, but Kraigg Brathwaite, who denied Root’s men for a gargantuan 160 from 489 balls in the early innings, foiled back to the visitors, the Windies captain posted an unbeaten half-century as the game eventually turned into a tie.
“It’s frustrating not to get the win, but the way we played it was a brilliant effort on a very calm surface,” Root said. “It’s not a win, but it feels like another step forward.
“Maybe we could have been a bit more gutsy with the statement, but it feels like a faster scoring field here. Thought they might have a little try.” [at chasing]But it was not the case.
“Maybe we could have gotten 10 overs earlier, but defending 240 in 70 overs could be a huge ask for any side on that ground.
“We’re not trying to go for a miracle win in 30 overs, making sure we have 340 on the board, but I guess the more confident you are, the braver you will be with those decisions.
“The most important thing is to keep finding ways to give ourselves a chance to win the Trials because we’re finding positions where we’re at the top and dominating the game.”
England might well have won the Test were it not for the tireless batting from Brathwaite, who held the crease for just under 12 hours in the opening innings and more than four in the final day.
“It was annoying how good it was,” Root added. “He played brilliantly in both innings and knocked us down.
“He takes it deep over and over again, he had a clear game plan and he stuck to it very well.”
Former England batsman Mark Butcher praised Brathwaite’s Test efforts as “astonishing”, saying Sport: “I had a talk with [England batting coach] Marcus Trescothick and none of us could understand how he could hit so many balls and score so few runs.
“The level of abstinence to go out and hit 489 deliveries for 160 is pretty extraordinary. It shows the extraordinary qualities of him as a leader.
“He wants to make the West Indies a tough team to beat in the way that Joe Root wants to make England a tough team to beat and he has led them from the front.”
As for Brathwaite himself, he said he was keen to put his feet up ahead of the decisive third test in Granada from Thursday.
“I’m a bit tired and wanting to rest a bit,” he said. “I had my plan. They played well, but I followed my plan and it paid off.
“It’s about discipline, knowing my strengths and keeping them as long as possible. I’ve managed to do that for a long time in this game.”
Second only to the turn Brathwaite took, England spinner Jack Leach put in a phenomenal job of 94.5 overs in the second test, connecting relentlessly on a rather placid and unresponsive throw.
The surface wore away as the Test progressed, and the effect gradually worked its way into the game, Leach finishing with match numbers of 6-154, three of them on the final afternoon as England briefly flirted with an unlikely win.
Root said of Leach, “It’s really nice to see Jack play the way he has. You can see how much he enjoys it.”
“He bowls with great control and looks menacing. It’s great to see him find his feet and look comfortable at this level.”
Leach at times received some criticism in the early innings for not bowling slower to help get more spin on Kensington’s oval pitch, and while Butcher believes the left arm spin is “by no means the finished article “He believes his performance will give him more confidence.
“He bowled as well as he could at this point in his development as a test bowler,” Butcher said.
“He’s missing a bit or two of the skills, a bit or two of the additional cunning parts that a pivotal player might need to unlock batting lineups desperate not to hit flat surfaces.
