Published: Feb 02, 2019, 09:37 AM (IST)
Edited: Feb 02, 2019, 09:37 AM (IST)
England pacer Stuart Broad was left struggling to pinpoint a reason after a tough day that saw West Indies further taking control of the ongoing second Test in Antigua.
West Indies finished the second day at 272/6 and a lead of 85 runs. However, England could have easily bowled out the hosts primarily if they had not spilled four catches across the day. Two of those drops came off the bowling of Broad.
After the end of the day’s play, Broad said the team’s analyst had revealed England bowlers had beaten the bat 103 times across 90 overs. “I feel a bit lost as to how we got only six wickets to be brutally honest,” Broad said who has figures of 3/42 from 28 overs. “We’ve put everything into it. Heart and soul has gone into that day. 103 plays and misses in the day? I can’t think of any more in any Test that I’ve played in.”
The 32-year-old felt England still can engineer a comeback but for that they will have to dictate the terms. “West Indies have shown a lot of grit and they’ve left the ball better than us. But is that the way we’ll get back into this Test? Probably not. We’re going to have to move the game on. It will either be 2-0 or 1-1 – I can’t see this being a draw – but if we got 140 on the board, I would fancy our chances. Scoreboard pressure counts for a lot,” he said.
Broad was ignored for the first Test in Barbados where seamers played a crucial role as England suffered a crushing defeat. He underlined his importance in Antigua with top figures on the second day but said he didn’t have anything to prove.
“I don’t think so. Everyone in the set-up knows how nicely I’ve been bowling in the nets. I got three wickets today but in all honesty I could have walked away with a hatful. I don’t mean that to sound arrogant but I felt that threatening as a bowler,” he said.
