New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) — With West Indies cricket at arguably its lowest point, legendary figures like Vivian Richards and Brian Lara believe the only trajectory is upward, emphasizing self-belief and the right mindset. The pair, alongside Richie Richardson, offered these sentiments to Roston Chase and his team as they prepared for their second Test against India starting Friday.
The trio of former West Indies captains crossed paths with the current Test squad during a promotional event in the capital on Wednesday.
"Yes, we had a team event yesterday, and I had the privilege of speaking with all three — Richards, Lara, and Richardson," Chase shared on the eve of the Test match. "They told me to keep believing — we may be down at the moment, but things will change." Each of them stressed maintaining positivity on the field in the coming days.
"That change can start now, and it begins with the belief and mindset of every player," Chase continued. "My focus is to keep motivating the guys so that we continue playing positive cricket and turn around our current situation."
Chase pointed to the lack of quality in Test batters, attributing it largely to the standard of first-class cricket in the islands. "I can’t speak for everyone, but from my own perspective, it comes down to confidence and playing enough quality first-class cricket," he noted.
"The more time you spend facing good bowling attacks, the more you learn to handle pressure and improve on your weaknesses. When you start your career, opponents don’t know much about you, but after a few matches, they pick on your flaws. It’s up to the players to identify those areas early and work hard to correct them," he explained.
Chase dismissed doubts about his team’s confidence. "I don’t think confidence is lacking. It’s more about getting that one big innings to build momentum. Once a player gets a solid 50 or a hundred, it boosts belief for everyone. We didn’t start the series well as a batting unit, and the pressure is on."
"It’s important for us to absorb that pressure and then transfer it back onto the Indian bowlers. We just need a few players to kick on from their starts — once that happens, things will look much better." Chase also concurred with Shubman Gill's statement regarding a nation’s cricket foundation relying heavily on a solid Test team, rather than the other way around.
"Red-ball cricket is the foundation. If you can play the longer format well, it’s easier to adapt to ODIs and T20s — but the reverse is tough. A strong base in red-ball cricket teaches you discipline, technique, and temperament," he expressed.
While white-ball cricket is more glamorous these days, all the true legends of the game made their names in Test cricket. It remains the ultimate challenge for any cricketer.
Despite not finding much demand in prominent T20 leagues, Chase emphasized that the pride of donning the maroon Test cap is incomparable to participating in franchise-based tournaments.
"For me, representing the West Indies has always been a dream. I had the chance to play franchise cricket, but I gave that up because I wanted to play for my country," he revealed.
"Taking on the captaincy role now is a big responsibility, and it shows my commitment. I want to wear the maroon, and I’ll always give my all for it."
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