CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh, CMC – West Indies Darren Sammy says he is hoping for a better showing from his batsmen when his side faces Bangladesh in the second Test starting in Dhaka on Saturday.
The Caribbean side gave a modest display in the first innings of the first Test in Chittagong, dismissed for 244 in response to the hosts’ 350 for nine declared in the drawn match at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
Only Sammy, with his maiden Test half-century, passed fifty as the Windies were undermined by a six-wicket haul from debutant left-arm spinner Elias Sunny.
“As a batting group we did not put up the first innings score we hoped for and it’s a matter of being a bit more patient when we’re at the crease,” Sammy said.
“A few batsmen got starts so the aim will be to convert those starts into big scores, which we know the batsmen are all capable of doing. We have a quick turnaround before the second match in Dhaka, where we believe the pitch will be a bit different from the one we saw here in Chittagong.”
He added: “Bangladesh played well throughout the match. They used the conditions quite well; their batting was good too. They posted 350 and it always gives you a good chance to control the game. “The debutant [Sunny] showed a lot of composure. He took wickets but looking back, he gave four runs an over.” Sammy’s fifty was his first in 29 Test innings and it averted a potential crisis for West Indies early on the final day when Marlon Samuels fell for 24 with the tourists struggling on 152 for six.
The skipper blasted 58 from 43 balls with eight fours and two sixes in a counter-attacking knock to help stitch up the innings.
“On a personal note it was good to get my first Test fifty. Whenever I go to the crease I know I have to make a contribution with the bat and it was good that I could get a score here for the team,” Sammy noted.
“It’s not about answering critics or anything like that. It’s about doing my best for West Indies cricket and fighting hard for the team.”
The Test was ravaged by rain with two successive days – the second and third – lost to the weather.
