Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
West Indies captain Shai Hope admitted that taking on India in their own backyard will be a tough challenge but urged his players to embrace it as they prepare for a three-match ODI series starting Sunday.
Hope will lead a West Indies side featuring a mix of experienced players and promising youngsters, with the visitors looking to end a long wait for an ODI series win in India.
advertisement
“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 at 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.
Hope knows what it takes to score runs against India. The 32-year-old has scored 988 runs in 26 ODIs against India at an average of 47, including three hundreds and five fifties.
His record in India is even better. Hope has scored 741 runs in 14 ODIs in the country at an average of 74.1, with three hundreds and three fifties.
Asked about his success against India, Hope said adapting to different conditions has been key.
“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 India 4-3 in a seven-match series.
Hope believes that record can provide extra motivation for his team.
“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 backed West Indies’ spin attack to make an impact on the tour, with Roston Chase, Gudakesh Moti and Vitel Lawes among the options.
“The spinners that we have on this tripthe 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.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
