Chittagong, Bangladesh-West Indies captain Darren Sammy looked back on the rain-affected first Test match against Bangladesh and outlined that his team will need to show some improvement as they prepare for the second Test on Saturday.
With two days lost to bad weather, the first match ended in a draw on Tuesday, and the Windies will have a quick turnaround as they head to Dhaka for the second contest at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
The skipper noted: "We did some good things in this match and we saw some players getting some good performances but overall as a team we need to show some improvement as we look to win the next match and take the series," Sammy said.
"Carlton Baugh had a good match behind the stumps and that was really good to see. He keeps on getting better. The bowlers worked really hard on this pitch and I would like to applaud them for the effort they put in.
"As a batting group we did not put up the first innings score we hoped for and it’s a matter of being a bit more patient when we’re at the crease. A few batsmen got starts so the aim will be to convert those starts into big scores, which we know the batsmen are all capable of doing. We have a quick turnaround before the second match in Dhaka, where we believe the pitch will be a bit different from the one we saw here in Chittagong." said Sammy, who made a Test-best 58 in the first innings.
"On a personal note it was good to get my first Test fifty. Whenever I go to the crease I know I have to make a contribution with the bat and it was good that I could get a score here for the team. It’s not about answering critics or anything like that. It’s about doing my best for West Indies cricket and fighting hard for the team."
Sammy added: "Bangladesh played well throughout the match. They used the conditions quite well; their batting was good too. They posted 350 and it always gives you a good chance to control the game. The debutant [Elias Sunny] showed a lot of composure. He took wickets but looking back, he gave four runs an over, so he offered scoring opportunities. So if you look at it, overall, we need to be more watchful and patient, and looking for scoring opportunities."
The second Test bowls off on Saturday at 9.30 am (11.30 pm Friday Eastern Caribbean Time/10.30 pm Jamaica Time).