West Indies captain Denesh Ramdin plans to request a “quick and fiery” pitch for the third Test against England in Barbados.
The islanders went 1-0 down in the second match of the series after a James Anderson-inspired England wrapped up a nine-wicket victory in Grenada on Saturday.
With the hosts now needing a result to square the three-match series, Ramdin will be lobbying for something more traditionally Caribbean in flavour at the Kensington Oval, which starts on Friday
“So far, we got two good batting pitches that went down to the last day,” he said. “Hopefully, the groundsman can give us something in Barbados that bounces and spins more, something quick and fiery.
“I guess both teams would have a good use for that, because both teams have good fast bowlers. Hopefully, when we get there, I can speak to the guys and try to get something for the quick bowlers rather than flat pitches.”
If Ramdin gets his wish, his side could load up on pacemen in a bid to blast England out.
Jerome Taylor missed this Test with a shoulder injury but will be fit to return. There also was good news on Jason Holder, who left the field after turning an ankle on the final afternoon. It initially looked a nasty incident, but he could yet be fit for Barbados.
“It’s just a slight ligament sprain, he should be fine for next week,” Ramdin said. “A couple of sessions of ice with the physio and he should be all right. It looked worse on TV than it was, thank God, so he should be back.”
England’s Joe Root was the man of the match after hitting an unbeaten 182 in England’s first innings, and he wants his teammates to maintain their winning form in Barbados.
“We were ruthless,” Root said. “It is a great win to take forward for the rest of the series and the summer. There are so many positives for us all to take and it’s fantastic. I can’t wait to get back out there in Barbados.”
England have not won an away series in the Caribbean since 2004, and their last overseas series success was in India in 2012.
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