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WEST INDIES Test team captain Kraigg Brathwaite called on his charges to use the four-day warm-up match against the Sri Lanka A team in Colombo, starting on Sunday, to quickly acclimatise themselves to the spinner-friendly surfaces and focus on building early batting partnerships.
The maroon will play a two-Test series against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Cricket Stadium, Galle from November 21-25 and November 29-December 3 respectively.
Batting continues to be the bugbear of the Test team but Brathwaite stressed that the WI players have been working on their game-play in anticipation of improved results against the hosts.
The team arrived in Sri Lanka on Wednesday and is upbeat to return to competition. The skipper said Sunday’s practice match must be used to reinvigorate an ambitious mentality within the squad.
“Going into the practice game is to have the mindset that it’s a Test match. It’s a good opportunity to get familiar with the type of surface because the conditions in Galle will be similar. It will be good to get a match in for the guys to get a run,” he said, during a zoom media conference on Friday.
Regarding the team’s batting heading into the series, Brathwaite called for a more aggressive approach.
“For me it’s always a work in progress. The batsmen always have something to work on so it’s just to touch up on them. It’s key for us to start well and build some big partnerships in the top-five to top-six batsmen.
“If we do that we set ourselves up to get big totals. I think the batsmen have been putting in some extra work and I think having a good start will be crucial from the top-flight batsmen,” Brathwaite added.
The WI have not won a Test series since they beat hosts Bangladesh 2-0 in February. Since then, in respective two-Test series, the WI drew 0-0 against Sri Lanka (in March, in Antigua), lost 2-0 to South Africa (in June, in St Lucia) and then drew 1-1 with Pakistan (in August, in Jamaica).
The veteran WI opener said, “The key is clarity. Just be clear how you want to bat; whether pace or spin. Once you have that, it’s just about going out there and doing it. The guys know how to play spin and pace.
“Especially in some pressure situations, just having the clarity knowing how you want to play. To just let the guys know to believe in themselves and know that you can get it done, whatever your plan may be. Having that clarity as batsmen is key,” he added.
Brathwaite said he anticipates spin-friendly pitches but expressed confidence in his pace attack of former Test capatain Jason Holder, Shannon Gabriel, Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales.
West Indies have four spinners on the team; two off-spinners – Roston Chase and Rahkeem Cornwall – and two left-arm spinners – Veerasammy Permaul and Jomel Warrican – also in the attack.
“Despite possibly spin-friendly pitches, I think the pacers will do well. I could see (them) getting wickets. But it’s about building pressure. The seamers are very important and Shannon will bring some aggression. We’re pretty much accustomed to hot conditions in the Caribbean and I look forward to the players doing well,” the captain said.
Brathwaite also expressed confidence that the youthful Trinidad and Tobago pair of uncapped opener Jeremy Solozano and wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva on their chances of making a positive impact in the team.
Solozano was selected after impressing the selectors at the recent pair of Best vs Best matches and training sessions at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.
On Thursday, West Indies coach Phil Simmons said the 26-year-old left-hander, could be given the nod to be Brathwaite's opening partner in Sri Lanka.
“I think it’s always good to lend a voice from myself and from senior players (to Solozano); that always helps. ‘Solo’ has played a number of First Class games and a few 'A' team games. I know he’s well equipped and it’s just for him to be confident and believe in himself,” Brathwaite said.
And although Da Silva has shown a slight dip in form with the bat, the Barbadian Brathwaite believes the TT wicketkeeper/batsman will recapture his form.
“He (Da Silva) has been doing a superb job in times before by forming important partnerships. It’s Test cricket. You cannot always do well and sometimes it’s how you deal with not doing well or not getting scores.
“For me it’s just to have good communication with him and let him know that he can do it. It’s as simple as him believing in himself. I know that he is fully capable of doing well.
“We all go through our little slumps and we’re all still learning as players. He’s been putting in some good work and we look forward to him doing well,” he added.
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