PERTH, Australia– Captain Kraigg Brathwaite on Tuesday emphasized the importance of a disciplined all-round performance from West Indies as they geared up for the first Test against favorites Australia at Perth Stadium, bowling off here Wednesday.
He said the Caribbean side needed to be prepared for “10 days of hard Test cricket” if they were to find success in the two-Test series, which concludes with a day/night affair in Adelaide starting December 12.
“From the start, we have ten days of hard Test cricket to play. We know Australia is a very, very good team, especially at home, so the main thing for us is to focus on our disciplines and doing it right,” Brathwaite told a media conference.
“So when we’re batting, we want to bat a hundred overs plus, and when we’re bowling, we looking to get 20 wickets, so that is to help a team win a game.
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite speaking at Tuesday’s media conference.
“So we’re focussing on that. And we know Australia is a superior team, so we’ve got to play 10tenays of hard cricket; that’s the main focus.”
He continued, “We’re putting our energies into doing our [respective] jobs correctly. So if we’re bowling, we want to bowl to the fields, stay disciplined throughout the day, or however long we have to bowl.
“And as a batting unit, we want to be batting a hundred overs plus, and we want to put our energies on doing that, and I think once we do that, we’ll do well in this series.”
West Indies have not beaten Australia in a Test series in 30 years and have won only a single match in 21 Tests over the last 19 years.
However, the touring side is unbeaten this year in five Tests, shocking England 1-0 in a three-match series in the Caribbean before trouncing the touring Bangladeshis 2-0.
The Test series is being played in the shadow of West Indies’ disappointing showing at the T20 World Cup, but Brathwaite said he did not expect his side to be impacted negatively.
“We’ve been doing well this year, not losing any games for the year. I think it’s a good accomplishment, and we’re not focussing on what is gone,” he noted.
“The World Cup [campaign] was tough for us as a region, but we know what to do, and it’s starting tomorrow. We’ve got to start well and take that into the rest of the series.”
The Aussies have named a strong XI for the opening Test with the fast bowling trio of captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood headlining the attack and the likes of Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, David Warner, and Marnus Labuschagne underpinning their batting.
While reiterating the quality of the host lineup, Brathwaite said West Indies would be ready for the challenge.
“We’re prepared. We knew for a little while what we’re coming up against,” he explained.
“Of the bowlers, we have footage and a few guys we would’ve played against them already, so a lot of information was shared, so we’re up for it.
“As I said, we know Australia [are strong] at home, but we know what we must do, and the guys are looking forward to the challenge.”
The match gets underway at 10:20 am (10:20 pm, Tuesday, Eastern Caribbean time).
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