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Brathwaite guards against complacency ahead of second Test
DHAKA, Feb 10, 2021 (BSS) – West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite urged his side not to get carried away by the epic first Test victory as he believes Bangladesh will comeback strongly in the series deciding second game, which starts tomorrow (Thursday) at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.’
“We got a nice win but we have to start over fresh. We have to buckle down, and can’t be complacent. We have to fight hard again,” Brathwaite said here today.
After being dominated by Bangladesh in first four days in the first Test, West Indies came all guns blazing on the deciding fifth day to beat the hosts by three-wicket, chasing down a staggering target of 395 runs. Debutant Kyle Mayers led the way with a stunning 210 not out. This was the only second instance in the Test cricket history that a fourth innings double century came as winning cause.
Mayers in fact became the first man in the history to hit a fourth innings double century on debut. Even only eight men including him scored century on debut in fourth innings.
“The biggest thing is not to get carried away. We are happy with the win but we know that we have to start from zero,” Brathwaite remarked.
“It is one of the things that the coach has stressed in the practice sessions. Guys are working hard. For me to them is to stay discipline and stick to your plans both as a bowling and a batting unit,” he added.
Brathwaite is leading a side, which sans their first choice players. Even he was appointed as captain after the captain Jason Holder and vice-captain Roston Chase decided to skip the tour due to Covid-19 concerns.
“I want to say this is not a depleted squad. I firmly believe everyone here is capable of doing the job at the international level. There’s no added pressure on me. My role as an opening batsman is to build the foundation for the team,” he pointed out.
“We as a team don’t want to get too far ahead. We have five days of Test cricket to play. We are very happy to have won the first Test. We want to buckle down. Victory meant a lot for us. The guys are very proud of winning the first Test but we look forward to the next five days,” Brathwaite concluded.
BSS/SMP/ARS/2015 hrs