West Indies will be aiming to put the finishing touches on a memorable year in Test cricket when they face Bangladesh in the second and final Test at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, beginning today, with head coach Daren Sammy eager to secure a 2-0 series victory.
The Caribbean side head into the contest with a 1-0 advantage following their commanding eight-wicket win in the opening Test in Mirpur, Dhaka, and have already guaranteed a significant milestone, becoming assured of finishing a calendar year without losing a Test series for the first time since 1994.
But Sammy wants his players to go a step further and complete the sweep against a Bangladesh side he expects to respond strongly on home soil.
“We came here to win. We wanted to come here 2-0 and we have put ourselves in a position to do that,” Sammy said ahead of the contest.
“Knowing Bangladesh, knowing Phil (Simmons), the way he operates, he’s going to come out for blood. We don’t expect it to be anything easy, but the preparation we’ve put in, we know we could counteract and come out victorious.”
The West Indies squad utilised yesterday as a rest and recovery day ahead of the series finale, with the team looking to carry the confidence and momentum from their performance in Dhaka into the final assignment of their World Test Championship campaign.
A victory would provide an emphatic conclusion to a Test cycle which Sammy acknowledged had required considerable work to establish the right balance, personnel and roles within the team.
Difficult introduction
The head coach reflected on a difficult introduction to the job, with challenging assignments against Australia at home, India away and New Zealand in New Zealand, but believes the progress made over the past year is beginning to produce results.
“When I took over, the vision we had and the goals we had as a Test team, I knew it would have taken some time,” he said. “Obviously, when you go into an environment, you first have to understand what the environment is, how you’re going to change it and the things that you’ll need to do in order to get results.
“The first year we were finding the right balance in terms of players and roles allotted to them. We’ve settled in quite nicely.”
Sammy highlighted the stability at the top of the batting order, identifying Brandon King and John Campbell as a key component of the team’s development.
“They’ve probably been our best opening pair in a long time,” he said, while also pointing to the adjustments made to the batting order, including Shai Hope’s move to number four and the changing responsibilities of Justin Greaves and captain Roston Chase.
Sammy credited batting coach Floyd Reifer and the preparation undertaken over several years for the improvement, noting that the batters showed greater composure and intent against Bangladesh’s spinners. “Our spinners outbowled their spinners and our batsmen responded to playing spin better than theirs,” Sammy said.
Different challenge
West Indies, however, are anticipating a different challenge in Sylhet, with Sammy indicating that the surface could influence the composition of the final XI.
The coach said there appeared to be more grass on the pitch than at Mirpur, although he wanted to assess the surface again before making a final decision on the playing combination.
Experienced fast bowler Kemar Roach, who was left out of the opening Test in favour of an additional spin option, is in contention to return if the conditions offer greater assistance to the seamers.
Sammy explained that the visitors had deliberately maintained a balanced squad because of uncertainty over the type of surface Bangladesh would prepare. The decision to leave Roach out worked in Dhaka, where Warrican and Chase enjoyed considerable success, but the coach is prepared to adjust if the Sylhet conditions demand it.
The coach also praised his players for remaining committed and focused despite the wider challenges confronting West Indies cricket, saying their willingness to prepare and perform demonstrated the dedication within the group. He believes the opportunity to finish the year without a series defeat, improve their standing in the Test rankings and close the World Test Championship campaign with another victory represents an important step forward.
“The last step is to win this Test match and finish 2-0 like the skipper said to the guys that would be a good Christmas present for us,” Sammy said.
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