Adelaide: Though West Indies lost to Australia by ten wickets in the Test series opener at the Adelaide Oval, captain Kraigg Brathwaite heaped rich praise on fast-bowler Shamar Joseph, who put up a bright all-round performance in his debut match in the format.
Joseph became just the 14th player in the history of Tests, and the first from the West Indies, to take a five-wicket haul on debut, including taking Steve Smith out on his first ball in the format. With the bat, he made 36 and 15 as a number eleven batter in both innings of West Indies’ batting.
“(Joseph’s) belief is amazing. If all the guys could have that that’d be great. But he’s obviously a special, special guy and he gave a lot of confidence to the team as well when you see him playing his shots and for the batters I just want them to go out there and enjoy themselves.”
“It’s a great start to his international career and he has a bright future for the West Indies. I wasn’t surprised. I really believe he’s something special and I was very happy for him,” said Brathwaite after the match ended.
Apart from Joseph, Kirk McKenzie made his maiden Test half-century in just his second match in the format. “It shows them that they can do it. Kirk got a 50 and 20-odd (26) in the second (innings). So it shows that he has the ability to score runs against world-class bowlers. The other guys didn’t get runs but from watching Kirk they know now that we could get it done.”
“Because it’s all mental. We played some shots where I believe the shot was on but we edged it. So whether it was nerves, obviously a little poor execution, but I think it could give the batters confidence to know that they could do it.”
“I think it’s good for the guys to get out there and play and experience what it is to play international cricket. It’s great to be playing against the number one team in the world because you pretty much know where you stand after here. I was very, very pleased with what I saw from those debutants,” added Brathwaite.
With the second Test set to begin at The Gabba, Brisbane, in next week, Brathwaite hoped for curators in the Caribbean to make pitches with more bounce and carry to unearth more youngsters through first-class cricket and help the playing group prepare better for challenges to play Tests in Australia.
“I think one thing that would be great for us is we just got to produce some good pitches in the Caribbean. Some pitches that have some bounce so that we can produce more Shamar Josephs and not just a lot of spinners. Because pretty much in our first-class cricket in the first hour, the ball is spinning.”
“Our pitches are obviously getting better and they did improve in the last two years and if we continue to get them to have some pace in it, fast bowlers enjoy themselves and get some pace and balls bouncing to the keeper well and not just carrying knee height, I think all of that together will help us to produce more fast bowlers because it gives them a lot of confidence,” he concluded.
–IANS
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