Thaindian News

Roseau (Dominica), April 25 (IANS/CMC) West Indies assistant coach Toby Radford says his side is hoping it can replicate Australia’s lower order effort, as it looks to rebound Wednesday and get closer to the visitors’ first-innings score.

The West Indies suffered a familiar batting collapse Tuesday to end the second day of the third Test at Windsor Park on 165 for eight, in response to Australia’s 328.

“I’m hoping we can carry on in the morning and do exactly what they did to us this morning and we’ve got to come with that positive mindset and belief,” Radford told reporters.

“Shiv (Chanderpaul) has been fantastic in every match and he’s been like a brick wall for us. He barely plays a bad shot, so if Ravi (Rampaul) can stick in and do as he’s done and keep hitting those boundaries, we can still cut that lead.”

The hosts were struggling at 120 for eight at one stage until Shiv Chanderpaul and Ravi Rampaul combined in a 45-run ninth-wicket stand to prop up the innings.

Chanderpaul was unbeaten at the close on a typically patient 34 from 110 balls and Rampaul on a breezy 24.

Earlier, Matthew Wade struck his maiden Test century, 106, to lead a fabulous lower order revival which saw the Aussies add 159 runs for the last three wickets.

“It is important that our lower order bat in the same way with the same brains and the same technique,” Radford asserted.

“We’re always looking to develop, we’re always looking to analyse and learn and that’s always my message. Even if you have bad days, you come in tomorrow and say ‘right, how are we going to have a better one?’.”

“We must keep learning. I think we’re a side who’ve done well over the last few weeks. We’ve fought really well. This happened to be a bad day and we’ve got to come back with a better one tomorrow. It’s as simple as that.”

Resuming at 212 for seven, Australia flourished as Wade anchored two very good partnerships - 57 for the eighth wicket with Mitchell Starc (35) and a 102 for the ninth wicket with Ben Hilfenhaus (19).

The stands frustrated the West Indies bowlers and nullified any advantage they had, despite off-spinner Shane Shillingford’s six-wicket haul.

“It’s hugely disappointing. We came believing we could knock them over this morning. Ideally, we would have liked to have restricted them to 250, but as we have seen right through the series, the Australians bat really deep and you’re never actually through them,” Radford pointed out.

“You think you’re through them - we’ve got though the top order many times - but it’s actually proved very difficult finishing them off.”

“I don’t necessarily think we played badly. I think Wade played exceptionally well. He was the first left-handed batter to actually come in and sweep Shane Shillingford who bowled so well yesterday.

“You’ve got to hold your hand up sometimes and say someone has played a good innings and I think he’s played a good innings more than we did anything too badly.”

–IANS/CMC
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