Chase hopes Sri Lanka series win is 'a stepping stone' for West Indies in T...

Roston Chase Eyes Brighter Future After West Indies' Test Series Win Over Sri Lanka

"I've been trying for the last series and stuff but to go and actually lead from the front, it feels great," Roston Chase says after leading West Indies to series win over Sri Lanka.

West Indies registered their first series win in the ongoing WTC (World Test Championship) after securing a draw in the second test against Sri Lanka. They had earlier won the first test, and the series victory is their first in 11 attempts since 2023.

It was down to the batting, signalling a big change in the way West Indies have performed in the past couple of years, where it has only been their fast bowlers, in the main, giving them whatever little chance they have had to win a test match.

After the second test ended in a draw, West Indian captain, Chase said, “yeah, the batting is something that we put a lot of emphasis on because it was mostly the bowling that was standing up for us in the majority of the games. It is something that I really put forth to the guys that we need to be able to at least give the bowlers something to work with and they raised their hands tremendously in this series.”

In the first game of the two-match test series, West Indies batted only once and put up a massive score of 626 for 9 declared. Amir Jangoo top scored for the West Indies with 233 runs and Chase himself came close to a double century, scoring 194 runs. The duo put on a huge 401-run partnership for the 5th wicket.

In the second match, it was the partnership of 241 runs between Justin Greaves (180 runs) and Shai Hope (112 runs) that helped them save the game. “We had four hundreds in the series. I mean, we have been scoring hundreds in the past games but these are big hundred and not only that, we turn them into big totals as well.” Chase said.

“Not just one guy getting a hundred and we probably just getting over 250, but for two guys to get hundreds in two innings that says a lot. Yes, I am very elated, especially against a team like Sri Lanka, that we struggle to beat even at home and especially when we go away to them - it is very difficult to beat them. So, to come here and beat them, just not beat them in a dominating kind of way is very pleasing. And we haven't won against them in 23 years. It feels great, especially after the year that we had last year, to come and start the year with this series victory, it feels great.” he added.

Chase hoped the performance, especially with the bat, would set his team for the future and not be the sort of false dawn they have been used to having in the recent past.

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“I think this is a stepping stone for us going forward,” Chase said. Reflecting on the series win, he said, we will sit down and plan for the WTC and it is going to be tough. At the start of the year, we said, the two test series at home are going to win and dominate. So I just want the guys to continue putting up performances like this and let this win be a stepping stone for the future.

West Indies will next play another two-match test series at home against Pakistan in July-August. Pakistan are the only team below West Indies in the WTC points table. However, unlike the men in maroon, Pakistan are still in contention for the WTC finals since they have only played only for test matches so far.