Necessary for us to be a better Test batting team: Simmons

Despite having been in numerous positions of ascendance, the West Indies side have let down their guard with the bat, in both Tests thus far in the series. Barring the excellent knock from skipper Kraigg Brathwaite in the first innings of the first Test, the other batsmen have been a collective failure thus far in the series. 

In the second Test, it worsened as the hosts only could score a combined total of 369 runs in two innings. West Indies coach Phil Simmons has asked of his batters to put up their hands and contribute, stating that it is necessary for them to be a better Test batting team. 

"The Caribbean has to continue backing us. From a point of view that we are seeing improvement in the fact that guys are trying to do the things that are necessary for us to be a better Test batting team,” Simmons said post the defeat. 

“The bowling has been exceptional - it carries its weight and pulls the team - but the batters have to sit down and work out how to get to the scores we want to get. We need the backing, the batsmen need the encouragement. We don't see what's happening in the background, but they are working hard."

While starts have come for plenty of the Windies batsmen, none of them in the series have been able to convert the two-figure score into a substantial three-figure mark. In comparison, Fawad Alam scored a century for Pakistan to set things up in the first innings of the second Test. 

"We are spending 110 balls for 50 runs but it's how we read the situation of the game. We might be batting well, like we saw in the first innings then the ball started swinging a little bit more. We've got to assess those situations in order for us to get the big scores. 

“We've seen a more controlled approach to the start of everyone's innings, but we have to work out how we go from the 40s and 50s to the 100s and 150s,” he added.

Simmons also pressed that getting first-class cricket back on track would allow in building the batting unit better. However, the head coach suggested that there is a need for the pitches to be better for the batsmen, in order for them to improve their batting. 

"We've got to make sure our first-class cricket comes back as we settle down in the pandemic and guys are playing more. We have to make our grounds better in terms of our pitches so our guys are able to bat and improve [and] bat longer. There's quite a few things we can do to push ourselves to the next level."