ENG vs WI, 2nd Test: Tendulkar Lauds Windies Skipper Holder For Bowling Spinner Roston Chase In Opening Session

Tendulkar said that Holder was quick enough to pick up the dampness on the pitch which could help the spinners get grip from the surface and create problems for the batsman.

Roston Chase

'Master Blaster' Sachin Tendulkar lauded West Indies skipper's Jason Holder match awareness to bring on spinner Roston Chase relatively early during the opening session of their second Test against England at Old Trafford in Manchester on Thursday. Tendulkar said that Holder was quick enough to pick up the dampness on the pitch which could help the spinners get grip from the surface and create problems for the batsman. "In the 1st session I noticed a few balls didn't even carry to the keeper off fast bowlers indicating a lot of dampness in the pitch. Smart move by @Jaseholder98 to bring on a spinner on such a track where the odd ball may grip and the other may go straight. #ENGvWI," Tendulkar tweeted.

In the 1st session I noticed a few balls didn’t even carry to the keeper off fast bowlers indicating a lot of dampness in the pitch. Smart move by @Jaseholder98 to bring on a spinner on such a track where the odd ball may grip and the other may go straight. #ENGvWI

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) July 16, 2020

He also tweeted on the need for England skipper Joe Root and Dom Sibley to put on a strong show with the bat. "@root66 & @DomSibley in a crucial partnership for England. WI needs to find a way to get breakthroughs while the ball is fairly new. Old Trafford is a hard surface when it dries out hence the ball will become soft. A lot will depend on how the teams play the new ball. #ENGvWI," he wrote. Chase had the hosts England in all sorts of trouble as he scalped opener Rory Burns in the first session at the stroke of lunch and then dismissed in-form Zak Crawley in the first ball of the post lunch session. However, skipper Joe Root and Dom Sibley shared a resilient 52-run partnership for the third wicket to get England back on track.Just as when Root looked settled, seamer Alzarri Joseph struck to get his wicket and have the hosts 3 wickets down. A gritty 121-run partnership for the 4-wicket between Ben Stokes (59 runs) and Sibley helped England finish the first day of the Test at a commanding position of 207/3 at Stumps