Windies banking on balance in familiar conditions
Bangladesh started the recently concluded Zimbabwe series knowing that they had their opposition's number. However, they will not have that cushion of confidence against their next Test opposition, West Indies, against whom they lost abjectly in the Caribbean in July this year.
West Indies, meanwhile, will be looking to acclimatise quickly and recover from the loss of their captain Jason Holder to injury shortly before they set off for Bangladesh. In his absence, doughty batsman Kraigg Brathwaite will lead the team in the first Test starting in Chattogram on November 22 and before that, lead the side in a two-day practice game against a BCB XI from tomorrow.
"We are looking forward [to the series]," Brathwaite told reporters yesterday at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram yesterday. "It won't be an easy series but we will be working hard."
The West Indies squad came separately, with the first wave of players reaching Dhaka on Wednesday and the rest arriving on Thursday. As they were resting it was not a full squad practising yesterday, and Brathwaite said that he expected the full squad training together today.
In the two Tests at home, the West Indies pace attack had shot through the Bangladesh lineup in both Tests and subjected the Tigers to their lowest ever Test total of 43 in Antigua. On spin-friendly pitches in Bangladesh, however, it will be a little tougher, especially as West Indies suffered a humbling of their own in similar conditions in India last month.
He hoped that the experience in that series would stand them in good stead for this one.
"I think it's quite similar to India, so that is good for us. Also we have a game coming so that could give us a feel of the conditions here. We are a balanced team. Spinners will do a good job. We have world-class pacers and I think as a team both in batting and bowling, we are equipped to do our job."
He however would not be drawn into who was the favourite to win the two-Test series.
"Cricket is played on the day, so whichever way it goes on the day."
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