West Indies coach Andre Coley encouraged his team to draw confidence from their famous Gabba Win against Australia to make preparations for the second Test against England.
Andre Coley Wants West Indies Squad To Invoke Gabba Win
West Indies suffered a heavy defeat in the first test, but Coley remains confident about the team’s potential comeback in the second test. Reflecting on their performance against Australia, where the West Indies made an epic win against WTC champions at the Gabba after a significant loss in the opening Test.
“They would’ve taken a lot of positives from that (Gabba Test),” Coley said. “In terms of how we were able to bounce back, the process that we went through to be able to do that I believe is a lot more powerful (than winning).”
Coley spoke about the importance of composure and resilience in a series, noting that a poor start does not prevent a competitive finish.
“It reinforces the fact that in a series you could actually not start well but then compose yourself and come back in the series and be quite competitive, potentially set it up for a game-three decider,” he added.
“So there are real positives to be taken away, not only from the first Test here but what we would’ve (faced in the) last six months.” West Indies suffered a defeat by an innings and 114 runs at Lord’s. The legendary seamer James Anderson retired from Tests after the end of the first test.
The second test will be played at Trent Bridge, Coley Stressed the need for improved performance in the field.
“I would love to see us with a lot more intensity that we’re known to show in the field,” he stated. “I thought in this (Lord’s) Test match, we weren’t at our best in imposing ourselves on the England batters. We need to be better at that for the next Test.”
Currently, the West Indies have secured the 6th position in the WTC points table, they will be requiring positive results in the remaining two matches in England. Cole maintains that the team morale is high and he expects the team to adapt to England’s conditions.
“Having been here now about two weeks, having a bit of time to acclimatize to conditions, and getting time in the middleâ€æ yes, the result was not what we would’ve wanted and planned for, but I do believe that there’s a lot to be had in terms of learning and takeaways,” he said.
Coley acknowledged the youth and emerging talent within the squad but remained optimistic about their approach to the second test.
“Everybody’s in good spirits. We’ve been catching up with the players one-on-one and this will be the first time that we’ll be settled as a squad,” he noted.
“There’s been quite a bit of activity on and off the field leading up to the first Test and it’s been a lot, I can imagine, for some of our players to have been able to absorb. So it’s a massive learning for everyone, players and staff, and we are still very positive as we head to Nottingham.”
