THE long batting struggle of West Indies is largely due to poor finances and below-par infrastructure in the Caribbean, test captain Roston Chase said after their defeat by India in the series opener in Ahmedabad on Saturday (4).
India triumphed inside three days and will be favourites to complete a 2-0 series sweep in Delhi starting on Friday (10) against a West Indies side, who were blanked 3-0 at home by Australia in July.
In Ahmedabad, West Indies managed 162 and 146 and could not bowl out their rivals the only time India batted in the match.
"I think the systems in the Caribbean are a bit poor in terms of training facilities and stuff," Chase told reporters after their defeat by an innings and 140 runs.
"I am not using that as an excuse or something to hide behind for poor performances that we've been putting out lately. I still think that the onus is on the players to find some way to churn up runs and wickets and stuff.
"But what I would say is, yes, there is obviously a struggle in the Caribbean for finances. So whatever help we can get, if they are planning to get the help, I hope that we do get it so that we could strengthen the infrastructure for cricket."
West Indies batted a combined 89.2 overs in Ahmedabad, looking vulnerable against both pace and spin. Chase attributed it to the nature of the tracks back home.
"The pitches in the Caribbean are not really batsman-friendly. So guys don't really bat for long periods and score those big scores," the all-rounder said.
"And the outfields in the Caribbean are really slow. When you hit the ball in the gaps, you probably end up struggling to get two. Those are just some of the problems that we are faced with in the Caribbean."
West Indies, who were bundled out for 27 in the third test against Australia, now have crossed 250 only once in their last 15 test innings.
"We've not been able to at least bat 80 overs, bat a day or even get at least 250 or 300 runs on the board," Chase said. "Anytime you win a toss in a test match and bat and you don't bat out the first day, you're always going to be in trouble."
(Reuters)
