For the first Test between Australia and the West Indies, which begins on Wednesday, 12 millimeters of grass have been left on the Optus Stadium pitch. Head curator Isaac McDonald predicts “good pace and bounce” from the surface.
As both sides possess explosive-pace assaults, fireworks are to be expected. The idea that Australia’s star-studded trio of quicks, who dominated the two previous Tests at this venue against India in 2018 and New Zealand in 2019, can cause the visitors’ batting to crumble is another possibility.
However, Kraigg Brathwaite, the captain of the West Indies, thinks they still have a chance to exceed those hopes.
Brathwaite’s remarks
On the eve of the Test, he told the media, “We want to bat [for] 100 overs; the key goal is to have discipline.” “It’s not to stop them; we have batters who can handle it.” They are responsible for carrying out the procedures for the duration of each inning. It is not intended to alter anyone’s strategy.
“In Test cricket, I believe having [batting] time is usually beneficial because it gives players confidence. Australia is a better team, as we all know. Our primary goal is to play ten days of challenging cricket.”
The son of renowned hitter Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Tagenarine, will make his Test debut after impressing last week with scores of 119 and 56 in the exhibition game against Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra. Brathwaite verified this while preparing to exert the effort.
Brathwaite stated, “We know Test cricket is real cricket. “As a team, we want to succeed for the Caribbean and to encourage young players to represent the West Indies in Test cricket. We obviously excelled in the past, and we utilize that as inspiration to reach new heights. We can advance and reach those fantastic levels if we work as a team.”
After only five Tests between Australia and West Indies in the preceding seven to more years, Brathwaite also hoped that a competitive series would result in more frequent matchups between the two sides. The most recent was in Sydney during the West Indies 2015–16 tour of Australia; since then, they have faced England in as many as 12 Tests.
We play England very frequently; I believe it will be much better once we play Australia more frequently. “It would be beneficial for us to face up against one of the finest teams in the world frequently by playing Australia. Although we want to return to that level, this trophy is still very important to us.”
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