KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC — Second Test hero Roston Chase says he is already looking forward to starting afresh in the critical third Test in St Lucia, as West Indies chase a win to level the four-match series.
The Barbadian right-hander stroked a superb unbeaten 137 on Wednesday final day of the contest at Sabina to ensure West Indies snatched an improbable draw, after seemingly headed for a heavy defeat.
With the dust hardly settled, Chase said he was already focused on the third Test at the Darren Sammy National Stadium starting next Tuesday.
“I’m looking forward to it just as much as my first one,” said Chase, who made his Test debut in the first Test in Antigua.
“I just want to keep doing well and it’s now only my second match and I’m looking to have a long career so I’m looking to [play] every match and do the best I can in every match. For nearly six hours, the 24-year-old stood between India and victory, anchoring three successive critical partnerships to ensure West Indies batted all day to end on 388 for six. He put on 93 for the fifth wicket with Jermaine Blackwood (63), 144 for the sixth wicket with wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich (74) and 103 in an unbroken seventh wicket stand with captain Jason Holder (64 not out).
Chase said the innings had taken its toll on his body and was hoping to be at his optimum for the third Test. “It was a hard day for me. I took some blows but it’s a battlefield out there …,” Chase said afterward. “So I’m glad for the rest and I’m just looking to recover as fast as possible ahead of the next match.”
The rookie wrote his name into the history books during the game, becoming the fourth West Indies player and the first in 50 years — since the legendary Sir Garry Sobers — to take five wickets in an innings and make a century in the same Test.
Chase claimed five for 121 in India’s first innings of 500 for nine declared, after the Windies had fallen cheaply for 196 on the opening day.“It was hard because India have a top quality batting line-up but I just tried to get the balls in the right area, vary my pace and the pitch was helping me a lot,” he said.
“I was getting some bounce and I found that the Indians weren’t really confident prodding and playing forward defensively, so they were trying to attack.
“I always like to see batsmen attacking me so I know I’m always in with a chance.”
