West Indies Captain Kraigg Brathwaite on Missed Opportunity in Test Series Against South Africa

West Indies Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite speaking to reporters at the conclusion of the second Test against South Africa. (Photo courtesy CWI Media)

Opportunity Missed

West Indies Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite believes West Indies missed a perfect opportunity to put pressure on South Africa when they suffered a batting collapse in the first innings of the just concluded second Test match at Providence Stadium.

After Shamar Joseph’s five-wicket haul helped the visitors rout them for just 160 on the opening day, the West Indies could only manage 144, conceding a first-innings lead of 16.

It proved to be a costly letdown, as it allowed South Africa back into the game, which they eventually went on to win by 40 runs within three days.

The Series Loss

The defeat left West Indies without a Test series win against South Africa since 1992.

Post-Match Comments

Brathwaite said despite the 63 last wicket partnership between Dane Piedt and Nandre Burger that rescued South Africa from 97-9, he still felt the home side was in prime position to press home the advantage.

“If you look at it, it was pretty big, but I was still quite happy to bowl them out for 160. That partnership for them was good.

“It’s cricket where partnerships do happen, so I wouldn’t stress on that too much, but what I would say is that our first innings total needed to be bigger, and we needed to get a lead from it; that was very important,” Brathwaite said in a post-match press conference on Saturday.

“I could never complain about the bowlers’ efforts to bowl them out for 160, but the batting effort in the first innings wasn’t big enough. We had to fight back into the game and in the end, we fell short by 40 runs.

“I must say that the lower order fought, but in the first innings, we didn’t put up a big enough total after bowling them out for 160. It wasn’t enough for the first innings, but it was good to see the fight from the lower order, we didn’t give up,” he added.

Bowling Performance

Despite the 1-0 series loss following the drawn first Test, Brathwaite said he was pleased with his bowlers’ performance, which dismissed South Africa three times in four innings.

“…I think that bowling-wise when you look at Shamar coming back in after not playing in the first Test and bowling out South Africa on the first day and Jayden throughout the series continued to keep coming despite the hot conditions

“All the guys have potential and talent; they just come out and do it. They have a lot of skill, and I think we have a bright future for our fast bowlers in the West Indies,” Brathwaite said.

Conclusion

However, he admitted that the West Indies’ batters needed more consistency.

“We scored above 200 in three of the innings, so it’s just for us to aim to do it more consistently, and that’s always the task.

“You always hear about being more consistent, and I think we have to find ways to be better mentally,” the captain maintained.

FAQs

* Q: What was the result of the Test series?
A: The Test series ended 1-0 in favor of South Africa.
* Q: When was the last time West Indies won a Test series against South Africa?
A: It was in 1992.
* Q: How did West Indies batters perform in the series?
A: They scored above 200 in three innings, but struggled for consistency.