Published: Oct 05, 2018, 09:37 PM (IST)
Edited: Oct 05, 2018, 09:37 PM (IST)
After two days of the first India vs West Indies Test, the gulf between the No.1-ranked Test team and the No.8-ranked team is quite apparent, but West Indies bowling coach Corey Collymore emphasised that his team will continue to fight.
After West Indies were on a leather hunt for better part of two days that saw India amass 649 runs with centuries for Prithvi Shaw, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, the batting was found out against the Indian bowling attack, that reduced the visitors to 94 for 6.
Collymore, who played 30 Tests for West Indies between 1999 to 2007, did concede that the game slipped out of their hands on day one, but added that his team will not drop their shoulders easily.
“You have to be honest with yourself. India is in the ascendancy and it’s only Day Two, already seriously behind so it’s gonna take a mammoth effort for us to pull it back. But again, you don’t come to Test match cricket to just surrender, said Collymore during the post-day press conference at Rajkot.
West Indies were without their most experienced pacers in Kemar Roach, bereavement leave, and regular skipper Jason Holder, ankle injury, with debutant and one-Test old, Sherman Lewis and Keemo Paul, respectively, thrusted into tough Indian conditions without guidance. The duo went for over 4 runs an over and failed to support their lead bowler in Shannon Gabriel.
“Yesterday was a very hard day. You have to realise again with two young gentlemen – one making debut and the other playing his second Test (Shermon Lewis and Keemo Paul) – they found it difficult with conditions, playing first time in India.
“I think the sub-continent is a hard place for any fast bowler, even with experience. I think that’s the reason the captain had to rotate them a bit more today, to still give them a little bit of a chance. They were still feeling the effects from yesterday,” said the 40-year-old.
Asked if an inexperienced West Indies can compete in the series, he added:”We certainly haven’t come down to compete. As a group, we have come here to win, doesn’t matter if you are No. 1 or No. 8, so yes, that’s what we are here to do. Anyway, our Test and limited overs teams are quite different,” he added.
