KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards has admitted the absence of his pace partner Jerome Taylor from the first Digicel Test against Australia meant he had to step up to the plate and put in an extra effort.

 

“Taylor was a big miss and also Chris (Gayle). Going out there to bowl, I thought, not only for myself but the team, I really had to put in a big effort to bowl out Australia,” he said at the end of second day’s play.

 

Australia, resuming from 301 for four overnight were dismissed for 431 with Edwards taking five for 104 from 26.5 overs, his sixth five-wicket haul in a 32-match Test career in which he has captured 85 wickets.

 

“Australia have a lot of good batters and you have to put in an extra effort to get the guys out,” he said. “I just had to be positive and do what I know how to bowl and stick to the team plan.”

 

The 26-year-old Edwards also conceded it was his best bowling effort against Australia, the No.1 ranked Test team in the world.

 

“I thought I was getting most of my balls in the right areas. That is what the coach was asking for. The wicket was playing up and down but that was the best I had bowled against them so far,” Edwards said.

 

“The skipper wants you to do a job and you find yourself going out there and giving a bigger effort being the main strike bowler in the team,” he reasoned.

 

Edwards said the warning he got from umpire Russell Tiffin forced him to change his approach.

 

“It made me bowl a lot wider and a couple of balls were off target. It is just for me to go back in the nets and work on that. I tried to focus and work on my rhythm during the last series I played as when my rhythm is off, I tend to bowl the ball all over the place,” he noted.

 

The Barbadian pacer reckons the West Indies had the better of the second day exchanges, capturing the last six Australian wickets for 130 runs and finishing the day on 115 for three.

 

“We had the better of today (Friday) bowling out Australia and now we are 100-odd for three. Hopefully, we can build on that tomorrow (Saturday),” he said adding that he hopes the pitch plays better than on the first two days when there was unpredictable bounce.

 

CMC mes/kp/08