Daren Sammy wants West Indies to the “mentality” from the first Test in Dhaka, which they won over Bangladesh by eight wickets, to the second Test in Sylhet this week.
“[I want the] same mentality, [and] a little bit more hunger,” Sammy, the West Indies coach, said between Tests. “The captain [Roston Chase] has challenged them from the time we got here [about] what the mission is. It is also important that we finish the year on a high.”
West Indies have won three Tests in the current World Test Championship cycle, one each in the two previous series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan before the one in Dhaka, but not a series. They want to do it here, but Sammy expected Phil Simmons, the Bangladesh coach, to make it tough for the visiting side.
“One thing I know about Phil [is that] he will not make it easy,” Sammy said. “He wants to win as well. They have their own goals in the WTC as well. But I am pretty sure with what I see from the guys – the hunger, the determination, the willingness to work and the attention to detail – that whatever we face in Sylhet, we’ll be ready to finish this Test cycle with an away win in Bangladesh, and they are not easy [opponents to beat] at home.
“Before we started this [series] they were fourth on the table in the Test Championship [after] winning [a Test] against Australia, so we are very aware of what’s at stake. Within the group, we are eager to achieve our goals set back in Barbados when the WTC cycle started.”
Sammy pointed to the red-ball players’ stint in Chennai just ahead of the Bangladesh Test series as a big reason for the competence the batters showed against spin in Dhaka.
“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]”Daren Sammy
“[A pleasing aspect] was the way we fought, [the way] we stayed in the game, but I must go to the preparation put into that camp. Kudos to Cricket West Indies for allowing us to practice and prepare in Chennai at the [Super Kings Academy and Sri Ramachandra Centre for Sports Science,” Sammy said. “[Batting coach] Floyd Reifer, the work he and Sri [Sriram Krishnamurthy, high-performance coach at the Academy] did with the batters, preparing them for these conditions, led us to what you saw from the batters versus spin. Then obviously the preparation we put in once we got here and seeing it transfer into the match, that was always pleasing for us.
“But if you look at how we’ve been progressing as a Test team, I think the team is now settling. The roles that we have challenged each of the players to play, they seem to be settling in that role.
“Also just the way we bowled, 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. He bragged about how we were going to challenge whatever total they put and to see the guys go out and do that. Brandon King [81 not out] was special in the fourth innings. So that was some of the key things that really impressed me this game.”
In the Dhaka Test, Jomel Warrican was named the Player of the Match for his nine wickets across two innings, while Chase returned a five-for in the second Bangladesh innings. This when Bangladesh’s spinners picked up eight of the ten wickets in the first innings but not a single one in 28.1 overs of bowling in the second.
Chase’s captaincy, especially his patience and relentlessness despite the mixed results in Test cricket, has also impressed Sammy.
“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,” Sammy said. “We continued to work and to just see the results coming through the constant work with Floyd Reifer with the batters, but also the batters’ willingness to achieve some of the things that we’re trying to do.
“The bowling with Ravi Rampaul, the data we put together to come up with plans, and then it goes back to the players. 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.”
Cricinfo
