Coach commends Windies’ effort despite results

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has praised his team’s level of professionalism during the ongoing One Day International series against India, which will climax on Saturday with the third game at New Chandigarh.

The regional side lost both of the opening games by eight wickets, with the series also being played against the backdrop of serious financial uncertainty for Cricket West Indies, which has resulted in contracted players being asked to accept a 25 per cent pay cut.

“I know what I told the guys. I mean with all the pay cuts, I said there is no better time to play India. You know if you win against the best team, you get some leverage, not only for the West Indies as a whole, but for you personally. Performing against India always brings extra incentives that, later down the road, could pay you back for your performance.

“So we try our best to put that behind us but you know, I commend the guys, the way they’ve put their head down.Yes, the results have not gone our way, but we continue to improve in certain areas. To me, understanding the objective of this trip and understanding what success for my team means, I think we’ve taken some strides,” Sammy stated, while referencing the fact that the West Indies had not won a series in India for over 20 years.

Reflecting on the playing conditions, Sammy said the games so far have been eye-opening and will benefit the team moving forward.

“I thought it’s been a good gauge as to where we are in the context of ODI cricket [and] what we have to do in order to compete to win against a top side. The pitches have been very good for our batters, but it’s been really harsh on the bowlers.”

“We still need to find ways when wickets are not really offering any assistance to the bowlers to be disciplined in our lines and lengths and the plans that we put in. But yeah, we always knew, you know, coming to India is always a challenge, not only for us, but for most teams,” Sammy added.

West Indies will still be without the services of Justin Greaves due to a calf injury he sustained during the opening game, while their last victory against India in an ODI came in 2023.

Sammy believes any hope of a West Indies victory on Saturday will hinge on the effectiveness of his bowlers, given the large totals amassed by both teams with the bat in the four innings of the series so far.

“It’s not ideal for bowlers, but we still got to come out and be as consistent as we could be.That’s where I’ll challenge them to be consistent because maybe we’ve not had the luck of bowling first, where you could bring whatever reverse swing or whatever there is in the drier conditions.

“But, yeah, it’s been really a bat versus bat contest, as Gautam (Gambir) said,” Sammy acknowledged.

He also believes that despite the comprehensive manner of the two defeats on tour so far, West Indies overall have shown signs of progress.

“What we’ve been able to do over the last two and a half years at home is make home our fortress. You know we lost probably two series. To me, that is success and I understand what I have in my dressing room, what we have as a region,and the talent that we have.

“Success is not always winning series against the top team,  but the strides we take as an international team, and that goes across the board,” he concluded.

(KH)