West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite said his team needed to play “10 solid days of tough Test cricket” and also stressed the importance of discipline during their series against Australia.
The first Test in Perth starts on Wednesday (Tuesday evening) and Brathwaite stressed that was how his side would find success in the series.
“From the start, we have 10 days of tough Test cricket to play. We know Australia are a very, very good team, especially at home, so the main thing for us is to focus on our disciplines and get it right,” Brathwaite told a media conference.
“So … when we’re batting we obviously want to bowl a hundred plus overs, and when we’re bowling we’re looking to get 20 wickets, so obviously it’s about helping a team win a game.
Brathwaite said that’s what his team is focusing on.
“We know Australia is a superior team, so we have to play 10 days of hard cricket, that’s the main focus. We are really putting our energies into doing our job right. So if we’re bowling, we want to go through the field, stay disciplined all day or however long we have to bowl,” the West Indies captain said.
“And as a batting unit, we want to do a hundred plus overs and we really want to put our energies into doing that and I think once we do that, we’ll do well in this series,” Brathwaite added.
West Indies are unbeaten in five Tests in 2022 after wins against England and Bangladesh in the Caribbean.
“We have done well this year, not losing a game for the year. I think it’s a good achievement and obviously we’re not focusing on what’s gone, we have to do and it starts tomorrow. We have to start well and take it into the rest of the series,” Brathwaite said.
He said West Indies are prepared and they know exactly the firepower they are facing.
“From the bowlers, we’ve got the looks and some guys we’d have played against already, so a lot of information has been shared so we’re ready for it. Like I said, we know Australia [are strong] at home but we know what we have to do and the boys are really looking forward to the challenge,” said Brathwaite.
West Indies start the First Test as underdogs having not won a match in Australia for 25 years.
Brathwaite also announced that Raymond Reifer has been ruled out of the match with a groin injury.
