Phil Simmons Signals Changes In The Batting-Unit After A Lackluster Performance By West Indies Batsmen In The 2nd Test

Phil Simmons, West Indies coach, has issued a warning to his misfiring batting-unit after the visitors were bowled out twice in two days, handing England a 113-run win in the second Test at Old Trafford.

After England declared their first innings at 9-469, West Indies were dismissed for 287 and 198 and while two English batsman- Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes- got hundreds, none of the Windies batsmen have been able to register a three-figure score in the series thus far.

Heading into the third and decisive Test, Simmons pointed to possible changes in the batting-unit.

“They haven’t fired, so we’ve got to take that into consideration over the next couple of days,” Phil Simmons told AFP.

If the West Indies does makes changes to the batting-unit, then reserve wicket-keeper Joshua da Silva, who scored an unbeaten century in the second inter-squad game and opener Shayne Moseley might come into the picture.

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“Yes, I am concerned”- Phil Simmons on Shai Hope’s form

One of the major disappointments of the series for West Indies and cricket fans is the form of Shai Hope. The talented right-hander, who is averaging 50+ in 50-over cricket in the past two years, has looked a pale shadow of himself in the longest format of the game ever since he got those twin hundreds at Leeds three summers ago.

Hope has registered scores of 25,7,16 and 9 in the series thus far and is averaging 18.69 in his last 24 innings since 2018. Needless to say, Phil Simmons is hugely concerned.

“Yes, I am concerned. He’s gone four innings without a score (in this series) — in contrast to how we played over the last five or six months in the other formats, I am concerned now about his form.”

One of the issues for West Indies in this series has been their batsmen’s inability to convert 50s into a big score. Even in the 2nd Test, the likes of Kraig Brathwaite [75], Roston Chase [51], Jermaine Blackwood [55] and Shamarh Brooks [68 and 62] got starts but none of them converted it into a hundred.

“We’ve had five or six fifties and no one has converted to a hundred. It’s something that we’ve been talking about a lot, and no one has taken up that opportunity in this game yet again, so it is disappointing. “I think it’s critical that our batsmen carry on and make big hundreds. Our batsmen need to make hundreds because our bowlers have been doing their jobs,” Phil Simmons added.

The third Test between England and West Indies will start from July 24 at the Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester.

Also Read: Curtly Ambrose Reckons West Indies ‘Could Destroy’ Out-Of-Form Shai Hope If He Plays The 3rd Test