ADELAIDE, Australia, CMC – Upbeat West Indies captain Chris Gayle has hailed the regional side’s performance after they forced Australia to battle hard on the final day before earning a draw in the second Test here yesterday.
West Indies set Australia 330 to win the encounter at the Adelaide Oval and the hosts slipped to 139 for five in the final session but managed to force a stalemate thanks to an unbroken 73-run, sixth wicket stand between Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin.
“We played some very good cricket in this match and I want to congratulate all the players for their whole-hearted effort,” said Gayle whose unbeaten 165 in the second innings put the Windies in position to gun for a victory.
“We had a long talk after Brisbane and we said that kind of performance was not to happen again. Everyone heeded and came here determined not to roll over and to put some pressure on the Aussies.”
Australia finished on 212 for five, with Clarke unbeaten on 61 and Haddin scoring a defiant 21.Medium pacer Dwayne Bravo led the attack with three for 37 with Kemar Roach and Sulieman Benn bowling well but finishing wicket-less.
Despite his attack’s ability to dismiss the Aussies a second time, Gayle said he believed their bowling effort had been an outstanding one.
“Kemar Roach kept running in, Bravo, (Darren) Sammy, all the rest of the bowlers actually chipped in,” Gayle pointed out.
“It was really brilliant … and Benn in the first innings picking up his first five-wicket haul was very good, so there are a lot of positives to come out of this game.
“Since we got back in Australia as a group things have progressed really well and we are all looking out for each other. We just need a couple of wins under our belt to change things and take a bit of pressure off us.”
West Indies will move their campaign to Perth where they face Australia in the third and final Test starting December 16th, and the Jamaican skipper said he was confident of squaring the series there.
“We can win in Perth. There’s no two ways about it. The way that we went about this game showed we have the capability of winning,” Gayle contended.
“It’s up to us to have the same sort of determination to go out there and put up the same sort of fight we did in this game. Having said that, it’s going to be tougher, I think the wicket there should be an even better one.”