The West Indies captain Shai Hope has acknowledged that taking on India in their own backyard is one of international cricket’s sternest tests, and called upon his side to embrace the hard task when the three-match ODI series starts at the Greenfield International Stadium on 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. When you’re playing international cricket, you want to play against the best in their home conditions – that’s where you get the real test. “Playing in India requires a completely different approach compared to Australia or back home in the Caribbean. It’s about being very critical with your training and preparation. That’s something I constantly emphasise in team meetings, especially for the guys who haven’t toured here before,” he added. It definitely adds motivation. “Roston and Motie have played quite a few games and made significant impacts for us over the last few years. Lawes has already shown what he’s capable of at this level, and I expect him to keep growing.
In 26 ODIs against India, Hope has amassed 988 runs at an average of 47, including hitting three centuries and five half-centuries. In 14 ODIs on Indian soil, Hope has scored 741 runs at an astonishing average of 74.10, including hitting three tons and as many fifties. “The harsh reality is that almost every series we go into, these statistics are brought up – that we haven’t beaten a team in 15 or 20 years.
We’re definitely looking forward to it, and it’s going to be an exciting one for us,” Hope told reporters during a pre-match press conference. We know it’s going to be a tough battle, but we want to change that script,” he said. He can be a huge asset for us going forward, and we’ll certainly be leaning on our spinners heavily during this tour,” he said.
