Fresh off a dominant innings-and-217-run triumph in the opening Test of their head-to-head against Sri Lanka, the West Indies men’s cricket side has set its sights on completing a clean sweep when the second match gets underway this Friday at the iconic Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in Antigua.
In a pre-match press briefing ahead of the first day of play, West Indies skipper Roston Chase projected unshakable confidence, noting that the side’s sole priority is locking in consecutive Test victories to close out the series. “Holding a 1-0 lead going into this second match, the only outcome we’re chasing is another win to wrap up the series and claim our first ever series victory in the ICC World Test Championship,” Chase explained. “That’s the goal that’s pushing every single one of the guys right now. I know the entire squad is confident and eager to take the field and put in our best performance for the region.”
When asked about potential adjustments Sri Lanka could make to turn the tide of the series, Chase made clear the West Indies camp is staying focused on internal improvement rather than overanalyzing the opposition. “I can’t say for certain what changes Sri Lanka will make, and honestly, that’s not something we’re wasting energy worrying about. Our focus is leaning into our strengths, building on what worked so well for us in the opening Test, and fixing the small areas where we fell short. At the end of the day, the only performance we can control is our own.”
Chase also drew motivation from the West Indies’ long-standing undefeated home record against Sri Lanka: the side has never dropped a Test series to the South Asian nation on home soil, but has not claimed a Test series win against Sri Lanka since 2003. “Securing this win would mean everything to this group,” Chase said. “This would be our first Test series win in the current cycle of the ICC Test championship, and that’s a milestone that would mean a lot after what we went through last year. 2023 was a tough year for us—we didn’t win a single series, or even a single Test match. We’re ready to leave that behind us. Getting a win in our first series of the year to kick off 2024 would be absolutely fantastic.”
To shore up the side’s bowling unit, the West Indies has added seamer Kemo Paul to the match squad as an injury replacement cover for paceman Kemar Roach, who is continuing his recovery from a hamstring strain. Chase expressed full confidence that Paul is ready to deliver if called upon to step in. “Kemo has been in excellent form in this year’s four-day domestic championship, where he bowled long, demanding spells and consistently generated pace and movement off the wicket,” Chase noted. “If he gets the opportunity to play, I can’t wait to see him take the field. I’ve played alongside Kemo for years, and he’s a tough competitor who never backs down, no matter how tough the match situation gets. He’s always ready to step up for the team, and I have absolutely no doubt he’ll get the job done if he’s called on.”
The Test series comes on the heels of the two sides’ limited-overs matches held earlier on the tour: Sri Lanka claimed a 1-0 win in a rain-disrupted three-match ODI series, while West Indies held on to take the T20I series 2-1.