West Indies coach Daren Sammy is keen for his team to carry forward their winning mindset from their victory in the Dhaka Test into their next encounter in Sylhet. The West Indies secured a robust win against Bangladesh by eight wickets, and Sammy is calling for “the same mentality, [and] a little bit more hunger” from his players. He also underscored the importance of concluding the year on a successful note.
Reflecting on their performance in the ongoing World Test Championship, Sammy mentioned that although West Indies have achieved victories against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and recently in Dhaka, a series win remains elusive. For their upcoming match, Sammy expects Phil Simmons, the Bangladesh coach, to put up a strong challenge. “One thing I know about Phil [is that] he will not make it easy,” Sammy remarked. However, he expressed confidence in his team’s preparation and determination, saying they are ready to conclude the Test cycle with an away win in challenging conditions.
Sammy cited the pre-series training stint in Chennai as crucial to the team’s success in Dhaka, noting its impact on the players’ ability against spin. “I think our spinners outbowled their spinners and our batsmen responded to playing spin better than theirs. I think that was one of the most pleasing things for me and for Floyd [Reifer, the batting coach],” he stated. The preparation, which included practice at the Super Kings Academy and the Sri Ramachandra Centre for Sports Science, was instrumental in their performance, according to Sammy. He praised the synergy between the coaching staff and players in adapting to the conditions, “The roles that we have challenged each of the players to play, they seem to be settling in that role.”
Highlighting individual performances, Jomel Warrican earned Player of the Match with his nine-wicket haul in Dhaka, while Roston Chase took five wickets in the second innings. Chase’s leadership, marked by patience and resilience, has also been noteworthy. Sammy commented on Chase’s impactful captaincy, “I must say Roston Chase’s leadership… We spoke about that when he scored that first 100 as a Test captain, the leadership he brings, in spite of everything that was happening in that first year of the Test Championship, he never lost his voice.”
The contributions from Ravi Rampaul and the strategic planning with data analysis have been integral to West Indies’ recent successes. Sammy elaborated that the players’ demonstration of maturity and responsibility reflects their progress. “The way they’ve shown maturity and responsibility, it’s all progress. For me, progress is success and we will continue to work at it,” he concluded. As they prepare for Sylhet, the West Indies aim to replicate their progress with determination and focused execution.
