Published: Oct 23, 2018, 06:15 PM (IST)
Edited: Oct 23, 2018, 06:15 PM (IST)
Picking up early wickets with the new ball will be the key says West Indies captain Jason Holder as he draws up a plan to stop a rampaging Indian batting line-up in the second ODI on Wednesday.
Chasing 323, centuries from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli helped India overhaul the target with over seven overs remaining. Kohli scored 140 off 107 while Rohit was unbeaten on 152 off 117 to see through an eight-wicket win in Guwahati.
Barring Holder, rest of the West Indian bowling attack was taken apart in a high-scoring affair with the hosts taking 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
West Indies debutante Oshane Thomas did provide an early breakthrough when he cleaned up Shikhar Dhawan for 4. But from thereon, it was a one-sided affair as Rohit and Kohli added a record 246 runs for the second wicket to put India in control.
“In limited overs cricket, in these conditions you need to utilise the new ball,” Holder said during a pre-match press conference on Tuesday. “This is an area every team targets. We want to take few more wickets with the new ball. We got one wicket in the last game and if we can get two or three wickets upfront, it will help us put pressure on their (India’s) middle order.”
Holder knows any total on Indian pitches isn’t safe and bowlers have to be at their absolute best. “Getting 320 is positive for us and we can build on that. We have all seen how the conditions can be in India. Here the par score can be anything from 320, 340 to 350 and you need to bowl ridiculously well to defend it. Hopefully, we will be able to repeat it (batting effort).”
The 26-year-old said his bowlers have to show more discipline and the batsmen should take a cue from the way Indian batted.
“I felt 320 was a little below par. Then again if we had taken a few more wickets, had broken that Virat-Rohit partnership it could have been different. It was a tough game,” he said. When you put runs and are never too sure if it is enough or not… Obviously our bowlers dictated and struggled against Kohli and Rohit. We need to be more disciplined in bowling and a bit more clinical with the batting. Like how Rohit and Virat went the distance after India lost an early wicket,” he said.
With the ICC World Cup 2019 just months away, West Indies are aiming to give chance to everyone to prove themselves and get the necessary experience. “For this tour we just want to give everyone an opportunity which can help them grow. World Cup is next year. We have got a young group. It’s about giving them the opportunity to know what it takes to perform at this level,” Holder said.
The second ODI will be played in Vizag and Holder feels spinners will have a greater say in the match. “I had a look at the wicket and there is no grass. Spinners do pretty well here. Our spinners did not do that well in the last game, but credit must also go to the Indian players. I felt (Devendra) Bishoo came good in the second spell and looked a lot better, was able to get the wicket of Kohli, which will be crucial for him,” he said.
