Paras Mhambrey, the Indian bowling coach, praised his team’s tenacity in the face of an unresponsive pitch during the ongoing Test match against West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain. On the third day, only four wickets fell in 67 overs, as West Indies displayed resilience despite trailing India’s first-innings total by 209 runs.
Kraigg Brathwaite’s patient innings of 75 runs, taking 235 balls, led the host’s efforts to score only 143 runs on the day. Batsmen Jermaine Blackwood and Alick Athanze followed a defensive approach, reaching 20 and 37* respectively, in a day where the pitch offered little assistance to bowlers.
Mhambrey defended his bowlers, acknowledging the slow nature of the pitch and the defensive batting approach by West Indies. He commended his bowlers for their efforts despite the challenging conditions and emphasized that they fulfilled their roles as expected.
The conditions in both matches of the series have not been typical of traditional West Indies Test wickets. In Dominica, the pitch offered excessive support to spinners, while in Port of Spain, it has been mostly flat. Mhambrey acknowledged the challenge of taking 20 wickets within the remaining two days of play and the possibility of rain affecting the game.
The bowling coach expressed the need for a sporting wicket that offers balance between batting and bowling opportunities. He praised debutant Mukesh Kumar for his impressive performance and hoped that the first hour of play on Sunday, with the second new ball, would provide an opportunity to break through West Indies’ defense and make inroads into their batting lineup.
