Eng-WI Tests going to be a toss-up between Jason Holder and Ben Stokes, reckons Phil Simmons
West Indies coach Phil Simmons believes that the England versus West Indies Test series can go either way. He opined that its fate might well be decided by the outcome of the contest between the two all-rounders Jason Holder and Ben Stokes, who will be captaining their respective sides.
International cricket was last played on March 13 and has since been suspended due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. But it is all set to return from July 8 as England host West Indies for a three-match Test series, with the first Test to be played at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.
Ben Stokes will be leading the England side in skipper Joe Root's absence. Phil Simmons has said that he is hopeful Jason Holder will be able to outwit the stand-in England skipper in both batting and bowling.
But Ben Stokes has been in tremendous form and is an important part of the England team, especially after his heroics in the Headingley Test against Australia. Simmons stated that it will be important to get rid of Stokes early.
"I think that it's going to be a toss-up between these two all-rounders and hopefully Jason can do what's necessary to get on top of Ben in this first Test. Ben Stokes is one of them who leads from the front. That's been shown by all his exploits before in cricket, (so) we will have to make sure that we get onto him very early, because he likes to do what is necessary for his team," Phil Simmons told PTI.
Ben Stokes' lack of experience not a big advantage for us: Phil Simmons
England skipper Joe Root will not be available for the first Test as he is awaiting the birth of his second child.
While this can be considered as an advantage for WI, Phil Simmons said that England have enough experienced players in the forms of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, who can assist the inexperienced Ben Stokes in making on-field decisions.
"Ben has not had that time (as captain) but they've had a successful team for a while, and that helps. With the experience that he has behind him - Jimmy (Anderson) and Broad and people like that, there's a lot of experience to help him on the field if he comes a cropper. But it's hard to really say if that's a big advantage," Phil Simmons asserted.
Phil Simmons also spoke about the approach the West Indies batsmen will look to take in the bowler-friendly conditions. He is hopeful that the batsman would take inspiration from their win at Headingley back in 2017. Back then, Shai Hope scored hundreds in both innings as West Indies chased 317 runs in the fourth innings to end their long win-less streak in England.