Any comparison made between Kemar Roach and Malcolm Marshall would irk most of the West Indian fans but he at least revived some memories of the fast bowling great with his fierce spell on Sunday. On his way to 5-33 that left Bangladesh trembling on the second day of the second Test, Roach surprised the batsmen with occasional bouncer on quite a few occasions like late Marshall used to do in his heydays.
Though it did not earn him any wicket, Roach successfully managed to create some panic in the batsmen, many of whom gave him their wickets generously to put West Indies on top.
His exploits put the hosts on the verge of sweeping the two-Test series, after making 380 all out in their first innings and restricting Bangladesh to 104-7 at close on the second day.
‘On this pitch there is assistance, so you can use the occasional bumper,’ said Roach, who has now six five-wicket hauls in Tests and the second against Bangladesh.
‘The Bangladeshi guys are not friendly to short bowling, so I set them up, push them back and then bowl a good line and length to dismiss them.
‘I remember Maco (Malcolm Marshall) while running in and doing it for him in this 500th Test,’ said Roach, a fellow Barbadian of Marshall, who died in 1999 at the age of 41.
Roach said he was pleased to see the conditions suited his aggressive pace more than they did in the first Test at St Vincent when he also took four wickets in the second innings.
‘On a pretty bowler-friendly wicket, to go out there and hit the straps early and get some wickets against the Bangladeshis was a good feeling for me and for the West Indies as well,’ he said.
‘I think the wicket in St Vincent was flat, it was very hard to bowl on and the guys, once they get set, it’s hard to get them out. Here they all give a chance with the ball,’ said Roach, who is close to entering top-10 in the ICC rankings.
The 26-year-old set his sight on number one spot, saying that he was aiming to knock the top-ranked Dale Steyn off his perch.
‘I want to get number one in the world. And to keep taking wickets, keep moving up the rankings, and keep helping West Indies win games,’ said Roach.
Roach made his Test debut against Bangladesh in the 2009 series that was marred by the strike of West Indies’ mainstream players.
He impressed though with 13 wickets in two Tests including 6-48 in the first innings of the second Test, but Bangladesh went on to win the series thanks to some collective batting and bowling performances.
Over the years Roach progressed as the most lethal pace bowler in the current West Indies side and Bangladesh declined to an extent that they are yet to manage a win against any top opposition in 2014.
-With New Age input
