MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand — A sombre Roston Chase conceded his West Indies side was “outmanoeuvred and outplayed” after a comprehensive defeat in the third Test sealed a 2-0 series loss to New Zealand.
The hosts’ tactical mastery, particularly in Mount Maunganui, proved decisive. After grinding the tourists down with a mammoth first-innings total of 575 for 8, New Zealand identified their moment on the fourth day, declaring their second innings at a blistering 306 for 2, scoring at 5.66 runs per over.
This aggressive acceleration left ample time to exploit a rapidly deteriorating pitch, a calculation that paid off brutally.
From a promising start of 87 without loss, West Indies crumbled to 138 all out, undone by Jacob Duffy’s five-wicket haul and the supporting spin of Ajaz Patel.
“As I said, disappointed,” Chase stated. “We really wanted to get a win here for the first time since 1995. That was the ultimate goal, and we fell short.”
The Barbadian specifically pointed to the unexpected speed of the pitch’s decline, which ultimately led to the visitors’ downfall.
“We thought it would have spun, but we didn’t look for it to deteriorate as much as it did. This wicket got brown very, very fast.”
While Chase highlighted the rare achievement of “three hundreds over the three-game period” as a batting positive for his side, his personal struggles cast a long shadow over the tour.
His captaincy has coincided with a profound batting slump, marked by nine single-digit scores in 16 innings as skipper, with a highest score of 44 and an average of under 14.
Five of those failures came in New Zealand. His overall Test average has now dipped below 25, and his bowling returns as captain have been similarly lean.
“Yeah, I think I had a tough series, very below par for my standards. I didn’t really lead from the front on the field. I thought that leading, in terms of words and encouragement, was all good and well. But in terms of producing, I thought I let myself down and the team down as well.”
The defeat leaves the West Indies with a long wait to resurrect their World Test Championship campaign. Their next opportunity for points will not arrive until June-July 2026, when Sri Lanka tours the Caribbean.
A home series against Pakistan and a tour of Bangladesh will follow later that year, offering a distant chance for redemption for a team and a captain, in urgent need of answers.
(CMC)
