(AP Photo)
West Indies head coach Andre Coley has encouraged his team to tap into the resilience they showed in their victorious match at the Gabba against Australia earlier this year. This comes after a challenging defeat in the opening Test against England, where they succumbed to a substantial innings and 114-run loss at Lord’s.
“They would’ve taken a lot of positives from that (Gabba Test). In terms of how we were able to bounce back, the process that we went through to be able to do that I believe is a lot more powerful (than winning),” Coley said ahead of the second Test, starting from Thursday.
“It reinforces the fact that in a series you could actually not start well but then compose yourself and come back in the series and be quite competitive, potentially set it up for a game-three decider. So there are real positives to be taken away, not only from the first Test here, but what we would’ve (faced in the) last six months,” he added.
As the three-match series shifts to Trent Bridge for the second Test, Coley has pinpointed a key area where his team must improve if they are to compete effectively against England in the ongoing series.
“We know the conditions will be testing: that’s why it’s called a Test match. We’re not playing at home. Our conditions are going to be slightly different, but we do have it within our ranks to be at our best and to compete with England.
“There were periods in the game where (England) actually had to show really good application and grit… Jayden Seales, Jason Holder; you had Alzarri Joseph, his pace was back up; Gudakesh Motie played a fantastic role in terms of helping the captain, Kraigg (Brathwaite) to be able to control and [took the] key wicket of the captain (Ben) Stokes.
“So yes, quite a few positives. I would love to see us with a lot more intensity that we’re known to show in the field. I thought in this Test match, we weren’t at our best in terms of imposing ourselves on the England batters. That is definitely something that we need to be better at for the next Test,” he said.
Despite the setback in London, Coley maintains a positive outlook and anticipates his team will adapt more effectively to English conditions in the upcoming two matches.
“Having been here now about two weeks, having a bit of time to acclimatise to conditions and actually getting time in the middle… yes, the result was not what we would’ve wanted and planned for, but I do believe that there’s a lot to be had in terms of learning and takeaways,” he said.
“We admit that the side we have, it is young and emerging… but we are still very positive about how we are approaching the second Test. Everybody’s in good spirits. We’ve been catching up with the players one-on-one and this will really be the first time that we’ll be settled as a squad.
“There’s been quite a bit of activity on and off the field leading up to the first Test and it’s been a lot, I can imagine, for some of our players to have been able to absorb. So it’s a massive learning for everyone, players and staff, and we are still very positive as we head to Nottingham,” Coley added.
Sitting in sixth place in the World Test Championship standings, the West Indies are eager for two strong outcomes in their remaining matches in England to stay within reach of the leading teams in the competition.
