Kraigg Brathwaite said that the top five in the West Indies batting unit has the potential to perform well. On Saturday, August 17, the hosts lost to South Africa by 40 runs in the second Test at the Providence Stadium in Guyana and lost the two-match series 0-1. After being asked to chase down 263 on Day 3, the Caribbean team was bowled out for 222 in 66.2 overs.
Shamar Joseph picked up a five-wicket haul in the first innings, after which Jayden Seales picked up six wickets in the second. But batting collapses in both innings meant that the home team fell short. Brathwaite heaped praise on the bowlers, including Kemar Roach, who did not play the Guyana Test.
In the first innings, West Indies were reduced to 47 for five, after which they lost half their side for 103 in their run-chase. The skipper, however, refused to lose faith on the batters, saying that they have the potential to perform well.
‘Being mentally tough is most important’
“As I said, the future is very bright for our fast bowling unit, and we’ve still got Kemar Roach, with loads of experience on it. You know, he still has a lot of Test matches left in him. So it’s very exciting,” Brathwaite said after the match.
“But I must say, I’m very excited about the batting unit. I really think the line-up we have, can do the job. And obviously, I’ve been asking for more Test matches. We had five on the back. And yes, we didn’t come out with guys averaging above 50. But I think once we learn from this, going forward will be easier, and obviously being mentally tough is most important in playing Test matches,” he said.
“So, I am excited for the fast bowlers, but I really believe that this top five can do a good job for West Indies. So, we just got to keep believing,” Brathwaite added.
At 104 for six in 35.1 overs, West Indies found themselves in all sorts of trouble. From there on, Joshua da Silva and Gudakesh Motie put on 77 runs to give hopes to the home team. But Keshav Maharaj dismissed both batters in quick success to take South Africa past the finish line.