Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 26 West Indies skipper Shai Hope on Tuesday conceded that playing against India at the latter’s backyard is a massive challenge but urged his players to “embrace” the hard task.
Hope will shepherd a team filled with some experienced stars and a few promising stars into a three-match series against India, starting here from Sunday.
“Playing India in their backyard is always a challenge. It’s one that we definitely need to grasp and embrace. It’s a great indicator for us to see where we are as a team,” Hope said in the pre-match press conference.
“But it’s something that we always look forward to when you’re playing international cricket. You want to play against the best in their home conditions, and you get the real test. So, we’re definitely looking forward to it, and it’s going to be an exciting one for us,” he added.
In fact, Hope can tell that from his own experience as he is one of the rare visiting batters to have mastered the Indian conditions.
The 32-year-old has played 26 ODIs against India, making 988 runs at an average of 47 with three hundreds and five fifties.
If one further filters that stats, the right-hander has played 14 ODIs in India, scoring an astonishing 741 runs at an average of 74.1 with three hundreds and as many fifties.
So, what’s Hope’s secret of success against India?
“I pride myself a lot on trying to be the best I can be. One of those things, you have to be able to adapt to different conditions, and play against different oppositions. It’s not always going to work out. Every day is not going to be your day.
“But I really try to focus on the fine details to give myself the best chance to score runs. Here in India, you’re going to play differently as if you’re going to in Australia, or even back in the Caribbean. It’s just about being very critical with the way you go about your training and preparation.
“That’s something I always try to put up there in the team rooms whenever we have our chats and discussions. Hopefully, some of the guys will never be here before, and get a good start to their Indian career. This is one tour you look forward to. When I was younger in my career, it was a tour I was expecting a lot from myself,” he added. West Indies have not won an ODI series in India since 2002 when Carl Hooper’s side beat them 4-3 in a seven-match affair.
Hope looked for a change in that script.
“The harsh reality is that almost every series that we go into, those stats are always at the top of the list. We always say we haven’t beaten this team in 20 years or 15 years. It will definitely be adding motivation.
“We know it’s going to be a tough battle, but we’re looking forward to this one,” he said.
Hope also placed faith on a capable spin attack — Roston Chase, Gudakesh Moti and Vitel Lawes — to do well on this trip and beyond.
“The spinners that we have on this trip…the experience of Ross then and Moti, they have played quite a few games, and they have a big impact for West Indies over the last few years. Obviously, Lawes is coming into the game, like he’s been shown what he’s capable of at this level.
“So, it’s a great indication that he can continue along those lines. But I expect him to keep growing as a left-arm spinner, as a wrist spinner, and he can be an asset for us going forward. We are leaning on them here,” Hope concluded.
(PTI News)
