Photo Credit: Cricket West Indies
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite didn’t hide his disappointment at the end of the two-match series against Australia, but remained encouraged that the team can continue to grow in the Test match arena.
West Indies were handed a heavy defeat in the pink ball Test match at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, but the skipper said he believed the result was a learning curve, which would serve the side well in important contests next year.
The series defeat meant West Indies closed the year with a record of three wins, two draws and two defeats in Test cricket for 2022. West Indies lost the opening Test in Perth by 164 runs last week – their first Test defeat of the year following series triumphs over England in March and Bangladesh in June, when they went unbeaten.
“Obviously [the] pink ball is always different – under lights is always tough and at times a little tougher. We needed] a little better judgement at times. We have a lot of Test cricket to play next year so we have to look ahead,” Brathwaite said. “In a year, you want to win every game – you don’t want to lose – but I think losing is a part of the game. Obviously this loss was a bit disappointing in how we didn’t show the fight [required]. I was pleased with the first Test in Perth despite it was a loss. We saw guys fighting, and to carry a strong Australia team into the last day was a decent effort.
West Indies took the opening Test against Australia deep into the final day at the Perth Stadium, when Brathwaite made a stand-out century, but the visitors were less competitive in the day/night affair in Adelaide.
“I still think it was a good year for us. As I said, it’s important to learn from this experience. We have South Africa next year in March after Zimbabwe and we know there are kind of similar conditions in South Africa, so it is important we show that experience.”
