I like to dig my team out of hole, says Roston Chase

Barbados [West Indies], May 1 (ANI): West Indies batsman Roston Chase, who scored an unbeaten century to put his side in a decent position on the first day of the second Test against Pakistan at the Kensington Oval, has said he relishes situation when his team is on the back foot and likes to dig them out of the hole all the time. Chase on Sunday made his fourth score over fifty in Test cricket, that too in his ninth match. Three of out of these four knocks have come after his team had a top order collapse and had score four down for less than 70, including a match-saving 137 against India in Jamaica last August. At Stumps on Day 1, West Indies were 286-6 with Chase and skipper Jason Holder batting at 131* and 58* respectively. "There's a little joke in the dressing room, among the Barbados guys, that if it was a superhero movie, my superhero name would be Crisis Man," ESPNcricinfo quoted Chase as saying after the day's play. "I relish these situations were we are on the back foot, under pressure. I just like to dig my team out of a hole all the time," he added. Chase---who came into bat when West Indies were reeling at 37 for three after Kraigg Brathwaite (9), Shimron Hetmyer (1) and Shai Hope (5) had all fallen cheaply for the third time in as many attempts in the series---showed immense calm, composure and elegant stroke-play during his 207-ball knock. The 25-year-old, alongside opener Kieran Powell (38) and wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich (29), added some respectability to the score. From the moment he came into bat, Chase showed a brilliant awareness at the crease, knowing exactly when to leave the ball and when to take the attack at the opposition. He tackled the Pakistani spinners very effectively, adjusting his feet against them and was in position to take advantage when they dropped the ball either short or bowled full. Chase's second test century was studded with a variety of shots, as he scored almost equally on both sides of the wicket, stroking 17 fours in his knock. The right-handed batsman further insisted that the presence of his family at the match was an added incentive for him to perform. "My parents always pushed me in the direction of cricket, because that was my first love. They always backed me 100 percent, gave me that encouragement to just go out there and play my cricket and do the best that I can. Also my brother is a big mentor for me, so I felt good about doing it in front of him today," he said. With West Indies finishing the day on 286 for 6, Chase believes that the hosts would want to score a minimum 350 in their first innings, especially as he expects the pitch to deteriorate quite a bit going forward. "It [the pitch] is very dry, so as it goes on, I think the spinners may come into play a bit more," he said. "It's only Day One, there are a lot of foot marks out there already. So I think the spinners can play a big role in the latter stages of the game. We're not looking to get less than 350; 350 and above is great for us," he said. (ANI)