AFTER England levelled the three-Test series with a 113-run victory at Old Trafford yesterday, West Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons stood by the decision to enter the match with an unchanged 11, even while hinting at possible changes to the team for the decider later this week.

“No, no regrets. We did well; we won the Test match before. And looking at the team we played with in that Test match we were happy with the team we went in with,” Simmons told journalists yesterday when asked about sticking with pacers Shannon Gabriel, Kemar Roach, Jason Holder, and Alzarri Joseph.

Given the short turnaround time between the matches, England made changes to their pace bowling attack for the second contest, resting James Anderson and Mark Wood. Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes went in as replacements, while left-armer Sam Curran was also included in the 11 after Jofra Archer was forced out after breaching the bio-security protocol.

England’s bowlers were focused and energetic, while the West Indies bowling attack, so relentless and disciplined in Southampton, was quite the opposite in Manchester, lacking sharpness and appearing ragged at times.

In the second Test, Joseph was hampered by a right-arm strain, while Gabriel, the player of the match last week after recently returning from ankle surgery, was miles off his best.

West Indies, who won the opening match at The Ageas Bowl by four wickets, need only to avoid losing the third encounter, which is set to begin Friday at Old Trafford, to retain the Wisden Trophy.

And despite the defeat, the Caribbean side still has the chance to record a first Test series victory in England since 1988.

“We have to do something different — we’ve just lost a Test match. We have to add to things we did in the first Test match and subtract from some of the things we’ve done in this Test match. And I think it’s critical that our batsmen carry on and make big hundreds,” Simmons said during the virtual post-match conference.

England’s second-Test win was powered by Ben Stokes, who claimed the player of the match award for an outstanding all-round display.

The left-hand batsman made a monumental 176 in the first innings, followed by 57-ball 78 not out when promoted to open as England sought quick runs in their quest for victory. Stokes survived an early chance in his second-innings knock when John Campbell put down an easy one off Gabriel’s bowling.

Opener Dominic Sibley, crucially dropped by Holder off the luckless Gabriel on the first day, supported with a first-innings hundred, while their bowling, led by veteran Broad, who was controversially left out of the first-Test team, was also tremendous. Woakes, Curran, Stokes and spinner Dominic Bess all grabbed timely, key wickets.

England, asked to bat first after losing the toss, patiently constructed 469-9 declared to set up the match. West Indies responded with only 287, opening the door for England’s press for victory, which they duly did by declaring on a hastily made 129-3 in their second innings.

Though battling gamely on the final day, West Indies were bowled out for 198 after being set an improbable target of 312 runs in a minimum of 85 overs.

But for all the brilliance of Stokes and the fire shown by the seemingly ageless Broad, it was a particularly disappointing loss from a West Indies perspective. Effectively, they folded well inside four days, since rain, which had delayed the start of the Test by 90 minutes, forced the abandonment of day three without a ball being bowled.

West Indies, who were 242-4 in the first innings, lost their last six wickets for 45 runs inside 17 overs. Kraigg Brathwaite (75), Shamarh Brooks (68) and Roston Chase (51) batted well, but failed to reach triple figures.

In the second innings, the wristy Brooks was again in fine touch, but fell for 62, while first-Test hero Jermaine Blackwood made 55.

Chase, whose off spin gave him first-innings figures of 5-172, was the only shining light with the ball.

Simmons reasoned that Broad’s three-wickets burst with the new ball in the West Indies first innings on Sunday’s fourth day proved decisive.

“We lost control of the game in five or six overs with the new ball yesterday evening. At this level we were in a good position to bat through the day and then bat some of today and close off the game but the spell from Broad there I think is where we lost the game,” said the West Indies coach.

“Our bowlers have been doing the job and now the batsmen need to stand up and do what they have to do for West Indies cricket,” he added, noting the long-standing frailties, particularly at the top of the batting order, which remain troubling for the coaching staff.

The visitors have plenty of options after travelling with an unusually large squad of 25 players for the series to ensure readily available replacements in light of the novel coronavirus pandemic.