Joe Root: England may have been ‘brave’ with statement after draw of Second Challenge with West Indies | News about cricket

England settled for a draw in the Second Test as Kraigg Brathwaite went undefeated 50 to follow his epic first hundred innings, bringing the West Indies to safety on the final day; Joe Root’s team drops the servers to 39-3 and 93-5 but can’t get the last five; 0-0 draw series with a Test to Play

Joe Root shows his disappointment when England can’t get the final five needed to win the Second Test in Barbados

England captain Joe Root admits he could have risked a bolder statement after his side were unable to completely force a win on the final day of a second test game against the West Indies in Barbados.

England lost the West Indies’ second five games after setting the hosts on a 282 goal from 65 crosses, but Kraigg Brathwaite – who turned down Root’s men for a mammoth 489 160 balls in the first inning – once again disappointing the visitors, the Windies captain scored an undefeated half-century when the final tie turned into a draw.

“It was frustrating not getting the win, but the way we played was a great effort on a very gentle surface,” said Root. “It’s not a win, but it’s like a step forward.

“We could have been a little bit braver with this statement, but it looks like it’s going to be quicker here. I think they can go a little bit further. [at chasing]but it is not the case.

“Perhaps we could have drawn 10 balls sooner, but defending 240 in 70 passes could be a big ask for any side in that group.

“We weren’t trying to magically win 30 rounds, making sure we had 340 on the board, but I think the more confident you are, the braver you are with those decisions.

“The most important thing is to continue to find ways to give ourselves a chance to win the Tests because we’re looking for positions where we’re at the top and commanding the game.”

‘Incredible’ Brathwaite blurs British grid

England might have won the Test if it weren’t for the tireless batting of Brathwaite, who took the lead by just under 12 hours in the first inning and over four hours in the final.

Root added: “It’s frustrating how good he is. “He played brilliantly in both halves and took us down.

“He does deep research time and time again, he has a clear game plan and sticks to it very well.”

Windies captain Kraigg Brathwaite competed for about 16 hours in the Test Match, using a total of 894 serves

Former England tennis player Mark Butcher hailed Brathwaite’s efforts in the Test as ‘astonishing’, saying BT Sport: “I had a conversation with [England batting coach] Marcus Trescothick and neither of us could understand how he could hit so many balls and score so few runs.

“The level of courage to go out there and hit 489 deliveries for 160 is quite extraordinary. It shows his extraordinary qualities as a leader.

“He wanted to make the West Indies a hard-to-beat team the way Joe Root wanted to make England a hard-to-beat team and he took the lead from the front.”

As for Brathwaite himself, he said he was looking forward to putting his foot forward before the decisive Third Test in Grenada from Thursday.

“I’m a bit tired and looking forward to getting some rest,” he said. “I had my plan. They played well, but I stuck with my plan and it paid off.

“It’s about being disciplined, knowing your strengths and sticking with them for as long as possible. I’ve been trying to do that for a long time in this game.”

Leach will gain confidence from ‘extraordinary performance’

Second only to the change Brathwaite put in, British videographer Jack Leach passed a staggering 94.5 on the Second Test, relentlessly on a fairly gentle, non-reflective pitch response.

The surface abraded as the Test continued, with spin gradually introduced into the game, Leach finished with a match score of 6–154 – three of them in the final afternoon as England blitzed. with an unlikely victory.

Jack Leach undertook a stunning 94.5 overshoot for the entire Test match, ending with a 6-154

Root said of Leach: “It’s really fun to see Jack play the way he is. You can see how he likes it.

“He’s bowling with great control and looks menacing. It’s great to see him find his feet and look comfortable at this level.”

Leach sometimes faced some criticism in the first innings for not bowling slower to aid in more spins on the Kensington Oval, and while Butcher believes the left hand crank is “not meant to be”. finished article”, he thinks his performance will give him more confidence.

Butcher said: “He was bowling as well as he was able to develop into a bowler in the test match at this point.

“He lacks a skill bit or two, one or two of those extra skills a spinner might need to unlock batting formations that desperately don’t get off on flat surfaces.

“But he’s probably the best player England have at the moment, they’ve invested time in him and Root now seems happy to pitch him in any situation, this He’s basically saying, ‘you’re right my number one, go out there and win me’.

“From Jack’s point of view, it was an extraordinary performance and would give him confidence.”

The West Indies and England meet for the third and final Test, in Grenada, from 2pm UK time on Thursday. Follow the ongoing text commentary from 1.45pm on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app.