Reifer: “You don't want to bat last on a pitch like that.”
West Indies 194 for 3 (Hodge 83*, Hope 39*; Mohammad Abbas 2-44) vs. Pakistan
A Kavem Hodge half-century dictated the West Indies’ batting on Saturday’s Day 1 of the first Test against Pakistan at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago. A rain interruption, which limited the first session to 14.1 overs, meant only 67 overs were possible on the day.
Hodge batted through to finish unbeaten on 83* after walking to the crease in the ninth over with the score on 13 as opener Brandon King played-on Mohammad Abbas for 12 runs.
Hodge shared in an unbroken 88-run fourth-wicket stand with Shai Hope (39*), taking Windies from 106 for three to 194 without further loss at close of play.
Given the nature of the wicket, batting coach Floyd Reifer says Windies, who elected to bat, are satisfied with their efforts.
“It's been a good day for us,” Reifer began. “At the start of play, we always knew that the pitch would have been a bit slow, a bit difficult to score. But once you get past that first 15, 20 overs of the day's play, it can become a bit easier. So it's important for us to continue tomorrow and build those partnerships, take it session by session, break down each session into hourly time, and try to build big partnerships tomorrow.”
