The West Indies have won only two of their last 10 Tests.
For a team that ruled world cricket once upon a time, the times they are going through right now are quite disappointing. But maybe, they’ve got themselves to blame for it. After the horrendous Test series against Australia at home, the West Indies have started on the same note against India. The visitors took a beating of an innings and 140 runs in the first Test in Ahmedabad. Skipper Roston Chase was optimistic that his team would shape up well, but also let us in to his thoughts about the struggles back home.
The Men in Maroon are nowhere close to where they once used to be on the world cricketing map. Their ability to play competitive cricket has gone down, which is a concern. In the last 10 Tests, they have managed to win in just two. Furthermore, the West Indies have won just a solitary Test out of their last seven appearances. It is clearly indicative of the fact that things need to change, and they need to change very quickly.
Skipper Chase spoke about a lot of aspects after the loss against India. But one of the most important things he touched upon was the lack of finances and infrastructure in the Caribbean. Though both the things are very inter-dependent, the lack of those facilities in the West Indies Cricket Board has put a serious dent on their chances to produce quality performances.
To add to that, Roston Chase made it very clear that he wasn’t using these statements as an excuse for the losses. He believes that the players need to find a way to churn out runs and wickets if they are to compete at the highest level. But their performances in the recent past have not shown any signs of promise whatsoever.
It was not long ago when the West Indies were skittled out for a mere 27 at home against the Australians. A lot followed after that. The board consulted Brian Lara, Vivian Richards and Clive Lloyd to orchestrate the roadmap in order to restructure the way they went about the game. The primary focus was on finding ways to strengthen their domestic structure, without compromising on quality.
All said and done, the West Indies are on the tour to India without two of their premier fast bowlers. Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph were both ruled out with injuries days before the series started. To add to that, former skipper Jason Holder also declined to be a replacement, citing reasons for medical procedures. And with the emergence of the T20 Leagues in the world, the job gets more and more tougher.
Chase agreed to the fact that, with the increasing amount of cricket being played all around, it is completely understandable that players would want to earn for themselves. But in the bargain, he also voiced that there isn’t a lot of rest for a player. And hence, the Windies Test skipper encouraged his players to stay fit and hit the gym regularly.
“I can’t really fault a guy for trying to go there and be available for whatever cricket it may be that he’s given the opportunity to play”, said Chase in the interview.
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It is true that there hasn’t been a lot to boast of for the West Indies lately. They have been on the receiving end of some gruesome losses in the recent past. Their loss to Australia in the three-match Test series was a humiliating defeat. But more than just that, there has been a pattern to the losses for the Men in Maroon.
If it will make them feel any better, the fast bowling has been the lesser of the problems for the Windies. It is their batting which has been shambles lately. In their last 15 Test outings, the Maroons have scored a total in excess of 250 only once. Now here’s another stat! Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s average in First-class cricket was 34.50 before the first Test against India. This number was the best among the top-six batters in the Windies line-up. Sums it up, isn’t it.
However, Roston Chase looks at this as a repercussion of the quality of the pitches that are provided back home. He stated that the pitches back home were too bowling friendly, due to which the batters are not able to grind out high scores. To add to those woes, the outfields are really slow. The ball doesn’t travel as fast as one would like it to. Chase highlighted some of these problems which the players face in the Caribbean.
“Anytime you win a toss in a Test match and bat and you don’t bat out the first day, you’re always going to be in trouble”, said Roston Chase after their loss in the first Test.
They were not able to bat for 80 overs in either of the innings, and that is a huge concern for any team going into a Test match. However, Chase stated that his call to bat first after winning the toss wasn’t wrong, as they thought that the pitch was good to bat on despite the moisture.
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