West Indies Test captain Roston Chase has lauded his team for their valiant effort in the second Test against India, even though they suffered a defeat and lost the two-match series. The regional team managed to extend the game into the fifth day before India secured a seven-wicket victory on Tuesday, completing a 2-0 series sweep. Despite a dismal first innings that forced the West Indies to follow on, opener John Campbell notched his maiden Test century, and Shai Hope ended an eight-year wait for a Test hundred, propelling the team to a commendable 390 in their second innings. Although this marked the Windies’ sixth loss in seven Test matches this year, Chase expressed optimism about the team’s fighting spirit, especially after their innings and 140-run defeat in the first Test. ‘This is the kind of fight I wanted to see from us. It’s a stepping stone and a building block for us to improve as a Test-playing nation,’ Chase stated during a post-match press conference. He emphasized the importance of maintaining this positive momentum, even in defeat, to extract valuable lessons from each game. However, Chase acknowledged that the team’s batting remains a critical area for improvement. ‘Our batting has let us down in the last two series. We have a strong bowling attack despite injuries, but we need to post better first-innings totals to compete in the Test Championship,’ he added. Looking ahead, Chase believes that facing top-tier teams like Australia and India provides essential preparation for upcoming series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in 2026. ‘These tough matches are part of our growth. If we learn from these experiences, we can be more competitive against teams closer to our ranking,’ he concluded.
