West Indies keen to defy India in Tests after ODI World Cup qualifying flop

The West Indies test side is not the one-day international or Twenty20 teams.

Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite has stated the obvious in the leadup to their two-test series against India to try and contrast his team’s prospects against the failures of the national short-format sides.

The ODI team last week missed out on qualifying for the men’s World Cup for the first time. That followed the T20 side’s failure at the World Cup late last year to advance from the group stage for the first time in 15 years.

While urging Dominicans to buy tickets to the first test starting on Wednesday at Windsor Park, Brathwaite said his team has to play its part.

ALSO READ | Arjun Tendulkar included in South Zone squad for Deodhar Trophy

'We got to show a lot of fight and it starts with the attitude': Kraigg Brathwaite

“We got to show a lot of fight and it starts with the attitude,” he said. “Even when you chase the balls to the boundary, it’s all about your attitude how you want to stop it before it reaches the boundary. We just want to show fight.”

West Indies hasn’t lost a home test series in two years. But it has won only once at spin-friendly Windsor Park, 10 years ago.

ALSO READ | IND Vs WI: Here's Team India's Complete Schedule For WTC 2023-25 Cycle

Windsor Park hasn’t staged a test since 2017 but spinners have always been to the fore. Seven of the eight best test innings figures there were by spinners. West Indies’ decision to replace injured spinner Gudakesh Motie with two in right-armer Rahkeem Cornwall and leftie Jomel Warrican suggests both could play. Their last tests were in 2021 in Sri Lanka.

The squad also includes uncapped batters Kirk McKenzie, an opener, and Alick Athanaze, a Dominican, who each hit two half-centuries on the A tour of Bangladesh in May. Athanaze added a 45-ball 65 in his only West Indies ODI last month in the United Arab Emirates.

Team performance mentor Brian Lara liked their style and attitude, but added in regard to them fulfilling their promise, “It may take some time.”