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.
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. 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. “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.
“The harsh reality is that almost every series that we go into, those stats are always at the top of the list. It will definitely be adding motivation. “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.
We always say we haven’t beaten this team in 20 years or 15 years.
“We know it’s going to be a tough battle, but we’re looking forward to this one,” he said.
