Windies need to employ smart tactics to play Sri Lanka left-arm spinners: Bonner
Nov 28, 2021
Galle [Sri Lanka], November 28 : West Indies batter Nkrumah Bonner has said that his side needs to employ smart tactics in order to get the better of Sri Lanka spinners.
Sri Lanka had defeated West Indies by 187 runs in the first Test which concluded last week.
"The ball is spinning a lot, so we've got to be more precise in our footwork - whether we're gonna come forward or go back. These are small things we need work on if we want to be more sure in our defense, and when we attack," ESPNcricinfo quoted Bonner as saying.
"It's difficult when players don't get a start. In the first innings, the ball was holding and spinning. It was a different challenge in the second innings when the ball was sliding at times, and spinning too. We have to come up with smart tactics in order to play all the left-arm spinners," he added.
Bonner also said that if his team manages to keep Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth Karunaratne quiet, then they can go a long way in winning the Test match.
"Their skipper has a lot to do with that team. He probably made 250 runs in the first Test match. Take out him, their batting is not that long to me. Mathews is a good player and Chandimal is a good player, but Dimuth is really the player we need to get out early," said Bonner.
"In the last Test, he got a few chances that haunted us for sure, because they made a big first-innings total. In the second Test, if we take our chances, we have a better chance. Getting him out is a big thing for us," he added.