Sammy: We have to be able to win when we bat first

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – While acknowledging his team’s strength in chasing down totals, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has pointed out that the regional side also needs to be able to win matches when batting first.

His comments have come ahead of the crucial third One Day International against New Zealand, with the series level at 1-1.

The Windies comfortably chased down New Zealand’s total of 267 in the opening match at Providence Stadium after winning the toss and sending the visitors in to bat, but were then bundled out for a paltry 138 in the following match at the same venue after batting first.

Speaking in a pre-match interview on Wednesday, Sammy said the Windies needed to be a better-balanced side which could perform in all scenarios.

“It seems like whoever wins the toss looks to bowl first, but we have to become a team that can set totals and also defend it and we’re working on that.

“We just need to apply that same mindset that we have in the chase, whether it be a turning wicket, which is what we’re faced with now in Guyana, but it is something that we really have to get better at and making better decisions when the challenge comes from the bowlers,” Sammy said.

The head coach said he expected a better batting performance from his side in a pivotal game three.

He said with the final two matches set to be played at Kensington Oval, it was important that the Windies travel to Barbados with a 2-1 series lead.

“I think we all know what the big difference was between game one and two; we didn’t bat as well as we should have in conditions that we are quite familiar with.

“So it’s important for us as a batting group to be a little bit more aware of the situation and assess a little faster as to what is required on the surface and what is a good total on that surface. Yes, the conditions are challenging, but if we stick to the process of how we go about doing things, we give ourselves a better chance of executing our batting plans,” Sammy said.

“The bowling was good; we made them fight for the total, but we all saw if we had put a better score on the board, we would have been in a better position to win.

“…Trusting the process is something we’ve been preaching, and home success is really one of the things we really want to improve on…Apart from the Sri Lanka series that was rain-affected, we’ve had a good record at home, so we want to keep that record and we do that by trying to go into Barbados one up and trying to be better in Barbados and give ourselves a better chance of qualifying [for the 2027 Cricket World Cup] and winning the series, which is the main objective,” he added.

CMC