Chase leads charge for the first time against Australia

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

A FRESH chapter begins for West Indies cricket as newly appointed captain Roston Chase gears up to lead his side in the first Test against Australia at Kensington Oval today.

The match marks the start of a new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, with both teams eager to make an early statement.

For the West Indies, this Test represents a return to the longest format after a six-month hiatus since a series in Pakistan. The hosts have injected fresh blood into their squad, with explosive batsman Brandon King set to make his Test debut.

Meanwhile, opener John Campbell and wicketkeeper-batter Shai Hope return to the side for the first time since 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Speaking ahead of the clash, Chase embraced the challenge of his first assignment as skipper under head coach Daren Sammy.

“It’s a new era, a new start, a fresh start. We’re looking forward to it. It’s my first time as captain, and Sammy is the coach of the team. So we’re looking forward to bringing some new energy and turning things around. We’ve been on the bottom half of the table for several years now, so we’re looking to change that.”

The West Indies sit near the foot of the Test rankings, but Chase revealed that the team has set realistic targets for the upcoming WTC cycle.

“We wanted to be realistic in the goals we set. Right now, we’re around eighth or ninth. We don’t want to set goals beyond our reach. If we can win 44 per cent of our 14 Tests, that should put us between fourth and sixth by the end of the cycle.”

Australia, meanwhile, arrive in the Caribbean still smarting from their World Test Championship final defeat to South Africa two weeks ago. Captain Pat Cummins admitted that his side is unsure asto what to expect from a revamped West Indies outfit.

“I think in some ways we are not overly sure what to expect. Even a couple of years back, when we played them in Australia, about half the squad weren’t there. It’s a new squad. They’ve got some class fast bowlers, obviously, a new captain as well, so you don’t always know what to expect.”

History heavily favours Australia in Bridgetown, where they have won four of their 11 Tests, including the last three. The West Indies’ most recent home victory against the Aussies came in 2003, when they pulled off a world-record fourth-innings chase. Their last home series win dates back to 1991.

The only survivors from the last Bridgetown Test between these sides in 2012 are West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite and Australia’s veteran spinner Nathan Lyon.