(CMC) – With a series win on the line, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite is hoping for an improved performance from the home side when they battle South Africa in the second and final Test here at Providence Stadium beginning today.
The West Indies will be hoping to record a series win over the Proteas for the first time since 1992, following a drawn first Test in Trinidad.
However, Brathwaite said he was looking forward to better execution from his batters and bowlers.
He said with the pitch at Providence Stadium expected to be slow, a good first innings total was imperative.
“I think it is important to get a good first innings total; that’s one thing as a batting group we discussed, and bowling-wise, it’s just to be disciplined.
“I think we were decent in the first game, and we just have to aim to be better,” Brathwaite told reporters on Wednesday during a press conference.
“… But I just think it’s important to get a good all-around game. You know, batting wise, we obviously have to come to the party. The first innings will be very crucial on this pitch, and then bowling-wise, I think dot balls are very important.
“It’s a similar type of surface to Trinidad, to be honest, in terms of slowness, and obviously some of the Guyanese players on the team would know it better than most of the players. It’s a slow pitch; we all know that, and it’s just to work out how, as individual players, we want to go about scoring runs and bowling in spells,” he added.
The Windies’ skipper admitted that the team was buoyed by its strong performance in the second innings of the first Test.
“Obviously, we couldn’t control the weather, but I think batting wise in the first innings, the total we could have put more runs on the board, and that’s why I said that’s a big focus of ours in terms of putting up a big first innings total.
“Bowling wise, the pitch didn’t offer much, especially for the fast bowlers, and you didn’t get much spin in the first innings as well, but I think we were quite disciplined, and I was happy that the guys scored at pretty much three runs an over for the innings, so I was happy about that,” Brathwaite said.
“Obviously, in Trinidad, I was happy with how the guys went about it in the second innings and albeit a little more time, the guys were positive and they had the intent, and that was good to see. We’re really pushing and aiming for a victory in this last Test match.”
Fast bowler Shamar Joseph is the lone addition to the West Indies’ squad, while South Africa has made no changes.
SQUADS:
West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Joshua Da Silva (vice-captain), Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Bryan Charles, Justin Greaves, Jason Holder, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Shamar Joseph, Mikyle Louis, Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph, and Jomel Warrican.
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, and Kyle Verreynne.