(WICB) Chittagong, Bangladesh – Devendra Bishoo is “big” on Test cricket. The West Indies leg-spinner says the five-day game is his favourite format and he is feeling confident as the Windies prepare for the start of the two-match Test Series against Bangladesh tomorrow.
This will be Bishoo’s sixth Test and first outside the Caribbean. He said the preparations for himself and the team have gone well. The match will be at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
First ball is 9.30 am (11.30 pm Thursday Eastern Caribbean Time/10.30 pm
Jamaica Time).
“There’s always that extra bit of expectation when a Test match is coming up. Test cricket is the highest level of cricket and this is what I’m always looking forward to. It’s good to play T20 and One-Dayers and I enjoy that, but the Test matches bring an added dimension. Every Test match is a huge occasion,” said the 26-year-old.
“We are away from home so obviously there are differences, but there is still that excitement and buzz around the ground and around the town as we get ready for the Test match. Everyone in the dressing room is geared up for the match and the series. This will be my first Test outside of the West Indies and I’m looking to make it a big one.”
Bishoo made his Test debut earlier this year at home in Guyana. He made a huge impression in the Digicel Series against Pakistan and India and has so far taken 21 wickets at 35.4 each. He made major waves in his first sixth months on the world stage and was last month voted the Emerging Player-Of-The-Year at the International Cricket Council’s Awards ceremony.
“The pitches here in Bangladesh offer a lot of spin so I know I will come into play during this Test tour. The Bangladesh batsmen, they like to look for room as we saw in the T20 and the ODI Series. I know I have to be patient and look to vary my pace and try to build the pressure on them.”
Captain Darren Sammy is expecting big things from his leg-spinner.
Speaking ahead of the match, the skipper said: “I know Devendra Bishoo loves bowling many overs and on a wicket where he will find some help, I can see him playing a big part in the wickets column for us. We saw the ball turn here [Chittagong] during the last One-Day match, so Bishoo will be someone who will be called on to do some work for us.
Sammy gave an assessment of the team going into the series. He outlined: “We are a young, rebuilding team. We are doing some good stuff. Earlier this year we drew against Pakistan and we put India, who were Number 1 at the time, under pressure. It’s about continuing in that vein.”
This will be the West Indies’ sixth Test match for the year. They drew 1-1 with Pakistan in the Digicel Series and lost 0-1 against India in the three-match Digicel Series.
West Indies Test Squad: Darren Sammy (Captain), Carlton Baugh, Devendra Bishoo, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Kirk Edwards, Keiran Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Shane Shillingford, Lendl Simmons
Test Series Schedule
October 21-25: 1st Test at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong
October 29-November 3: 2nd Test at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium,
Dhaka