West Indies will play their 2nd Test of the 2-Test series against the Sri Lanka at the Galle International Cricket Stadium from the 29th of November to the 3rd of December 2021, at 12.30 am ECT / 11.30 PM JA , After loosing the 1st test, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite wants his batters to ‘be clear about whether you’re playing forward or back’ he said that at pre match press conference hold in galle today.
With spin expected to be more favorable to spinners on the surface of the second Test than the first, it seems that the West Indies batting technique and application are preparing for another major test.
“The plan is to be clear in what you want to do. Believe that you can do it, and do it for long periods,” Brathwaite said. “We’ve got to have the discipline and the fight to do it for 50 overs – more than two sessions, or three sessions.
“We had a lot of discussions. One important thing is that you’ve got to defend a lot of balls. Having a straight bat is one thing we discussed. That’s very important. And sweeping as well – especially the offspinner. It’s just about being clear and confident about whether you’re playing forward or back.”
West Indies’ only half-centuries in the first Test were Nkrumah Bonner and Joshua da Silva’s 100-run stand in the second innings, saving the team from 18 for six. Brathwaite said the rest of the batsmen were inspiring. From that partnership.
“Bonner and Josh showed that when you have a solid defence, if you put the effort and energy in, you’ll be successful. Sometimes when doubt comes in, you can slip up a bit. Just trust that defence. When the bad balls come you get runs. It’s important to have that clarity, as to what you want to do here.
“In terms of how they were able to manoeuvre different balls, they were a very good example for us. As a batting group, it was good to see, and something to learn from.”
“To be honest we showed good progress in 2021. It was not a good series against South Africa, but we bounced back decent against Pakistan. In Bangladesh we won that series 2-0. Winning this game will be very crucial from a points perspective for the Test Championship. As a team we’ve made some strides. Once the group stays together and keeps building, that’s crucial.”
After winning the 1st test, Sri Lanka lead the series 1-0. These matches will be a part of the World Test Championship 2021-23 cycle.