Port of Spain [Trinidad] : West Indies bowler Romario Shepherd opined that it does not matter what team they put out on paper, India always have many quality batters in their squad.
In the second ODI of the three-match series, bowling eight overs, Shepherd bagged three wickets and conceded 37 runs in his spell. He scalped the wickets of India’s star batters Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja to dismantle Men in Blue’s plans of clinching the series. “It’s a big job from me. Basically, against a big team like India… it doesn’t matter whatever team they put out on paper, India always have some great batsmen in their line-up. So, to get my best figures against India was a great feeling for me,” Romario Shepherd was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Additionally, he discussed his spell and how important it was to him to do one of his best spells ever against a squad of India’s calibre.
“I think our bowling is the side we need to work on a bit more, especially because it’s going to be a batting wicket there in Trinidad, so whoever bowls well is going to get the victory. In Trinidad, the wicket is flat and there is nothing in it for the bowlers and we’re expecting a great game,” Shepherd said.
Shepherd emphasised that his spell was about pushing back when the Indian team started pushing, and that it boiled down to intent.
“It was just more intent. I just tried to run in hard and hit the pitch because when you hit the wicket, you get something out of it. So, that was in my bowling plan and especially to some of the Indian batsmen, I don’t want to get too full to them. When I came in, I got a wicket and set the tone. Basically, the guys started to push a bit and then we get another wicket that put pressure back on them,” Shepherd said.
India are currently engaged in a three-match ODI series against the West Indies which is currently tied 1-1. After comprehensively winning the first ODI against West Indies in Barbados, the Indian team were handed a defeat in the second match at the same venue as the hosts valiantly fought back.
India were bowled out for 181, with the West Indies chasing down the target in 36.4 overs with six wickets in hand.
The deciding contest of the three-match ODI series between India and West Indies will be played in Trinidad on Tuesday.
