Roach: It's a tough pitch to bat
AFP
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West Indies dominated the opening day on Thursday with a spectacular display of seam bowling to eliminate Bangladesh for a low total, followed by a determined response with the bat.
West Indies took advantage of a favorable surface after opting to bowl first and bowled the visitors out for 103 all out 40 minutes after lunch, before rallying to 95-2 at the end.
Alzarri Joseph (3-33) and Jayden Seales (3-33) had earlier finished with three wickets apiece and Kyle Mayers (2-10) and Kemar Roach (2-21) two wickets each, to wreck Bangladesh’s innings.
“The guys adjusted well. Obviously it’s a pretty tough pitch to bowl on in terms of finding your length,” Roach said after the day’s play.
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With skipper Kraigg Brathwaite having no hesitation in opting to bowl first, Roach was immediately among the wickets.
Passed fit just the day before, the senior seamer struck with the second ball of the match as Mahmudul Hasan pushed carelessly at a wide delivery for Nkrumah Bonner to take the diving catch at third slip.
Roach then bowled Najmul Hossain between bat and pad in his next over to increase the burden on the shoulders of Tamim Iqbal.
"I thought all the bowlers adjusted well to the conditions because it is not an easy pitch to bowl on," said Roach in reflecting on the swift work which lifted his tally of Test wickets to 244, seventh on the all-time list of West Indian wicket-takers in Test cricket.
"We saw the pitch yesterday and knew it would be a little soft. It's always best to bowl first here in Antigua. It's a tough pitch to bat on as well and obviously Kraigg has led the way so hopefully, we can build a good lead on the second day" he added.
