England transformed Test cricket. In recent years, they played aggressive cricket in the longest format and dominated most of their opponents. They battled but remained one of the most dangerous Test teams ever.
Brian Lara warned before the West Indies series against England that Caribbean players are not aggressive in Test cricket, which can hurt the squad.
He said they don’t play aggressively, which is terrible. Lara noted that England can score five or six runs every over, whereas West Indies can score 2.5 or three, which might decide the game.
As a batting team, I don’t think aggression is our style, which is a drawback. In a Sky Sports interview, Lara noted that scoring 2.5 or 3 runs per over against a team scoring 5 or 6 runs per over is asking for trouble.
The 55-year-old praised England’s aggressive batting and said the West Indies spinners must take early wickets to put Ben Stokes’ team on the backfoot. He said a healthy first-innings advantage can help West Indies win and lead the series.
England plays a style of cricket that is hard to beat from behind. We must eliminate them cheaply in the opening innings to keep ahead. Lara said that getting behind England at their pace makes it tough to catch up.
The West Indies tour of England begins on July 10 at Lord’s, James Anderson’s final international match.
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