Source: NEWSDAY
WEST Indies Test coach Andre Coley believes his players have the quality to rebound and compete against England in the second Test match after a humiliating innings defeat in the first Test match, which ended inside three days on July 12.
The second Test match will bowl off on July 18 at Nottingham from 6 am, TT time. The third Test will begin on July 26 in Birmingham.
West Indies were pummelled by an innings and 114 runs in the first Test at Lord’s Cricket Ground.
They only had a few moments to smile about. Coley wants his players to build on that.
“If you think about it you look to expand or extend some of those (moments), especially from a batting standout – extend longer partnerships,” he said in a Cricket West Indies media interview.
“(You want), when players actually work hard and get in, that they take responsibility and take it as deep as possible. We know the conditions will be testing: that is why it is called a Test match. And we are not playing at home, so conditions are going to be slightly different, but we do have it within our ranks to be at our best and to compete with England.”
An inexperienced batting line-up failed to deliver for West Indies at Lord’s. Entering the series, it would have been a challenging task for the Windies batsmen, as four of the top five batsmen had only played nine Test matches combined heading into the match.
Mickyle Louis (debut), Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze and Kavem Hodge are all trying to cement their place in the team. Opener and captain Kraigg Brathwaite is the only seasoned campaigner among the top five in the batting order, with 90 Test matches to his name.
In the first innings the regional side could only muster 121, followed by 136 in the second.
“The result was not what we would have wanted and planned for, but I do believe that there is a lot to be had in terms of learning and takeaways from the game.”
There is always hype during a Test match at Lord’s – the home of cricket. Many West Indies legends were at the match, including former captains Brian Lara, Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Clive Lloyd.
“As you mentioned before, there is always a lot surrounding a Lord’s Test match, but we are still very positive about how we are approaching this second Test,” Coley said. “Everybody is in good spirits, we have been catching up with the players one-on-one…as I said, massive learning for everyone – players and staff – and we are still very positive as we head to Nottingham.”
Coley commended his bowlers for their effort in the opening Test.
“From a bowling standpoint, it actually kept us in the game, and England, I am sure they would have thought they could not have just run away with scoring. There were periods in the game where they actually had to really show good application and grit.”
The Windies coach said the pace trio of Jayden Seales, Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph, along with left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, had their moments during the match.
The fielding can improve moving forward, said Coley.
“I would love to see us with a lot more intensity that I know we can show in the field. I thought in this (first) Test match we were not at our best in terms of imposing ourselves on England batters, and (that is) definitely something we need to be better at for the next Test.”