Kraigg Brathwaite: Some of the shots from batsmen not the best

The stand-in West Indies captain said that the visiting batsmen must learn from their Indian counterparts ahead of the second Test.

Published : Oct 06, 2018 18:17 IST , Rajkot

Kraigg Brathwaite was disappointed with the shot selection of his team-mates.
Kraigg Brathwaite was disappointed with the shot selection of his team-mates.
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Kraigg Brathwaite was disappointed with the shot selection of his team-mates.

Leading a touring side against India in a Test match is never an easy task. And for Kraigg Brathwaite, the chance to lead the West Indies came abruptly after Jason Holder picked up an injury.

Even though he had a forgettable Test match, his second as West Indies captain, Brathwaite focused on the positives after the first Test ended inside three days .

Here are the excerpts from the post-match press conference.

Are you disappointed with the result?

Obviously disappointed. One key thing is we didn't get partnerships from the batting unit, so we have to come the next game and really fight.

Touring India is always a challenge. Do you think your preparation was adequate for the size of the challenge?

We watched footage, but the thing is, it’s just about trusting your plans. I think today we were a lot more positive but we still didn't get the big partnerships, so I think going forward, a balance of defence and attack (will be important). I think once we can do that and build partnerships, it will be good.

What are your thoughts on the shot selection by your batsmen?

Some of the shots from the batsmen weren’t the best. The only thing we can do is come back strong in the next game. We have a lot to work on.

What is the way forward from here?

Going forward, what we need to do is along with the attacking shots, trust in defence. I think that's the key. Obviously when the field goes back, it's a matter of still saying positive in defence also and putting away the bad balls, stroking the ball along the ground for singles. I just don't think we didn't trust our defence as much as we should have.

When did you come to know that you will lead be leading the team?

Jason had a niggle when we had the camp. So probably day before the game. (Yes, a) day before.

Why did Shannon Gabriel bowl only four overs on the second day?

He had a slight niggle, so he wasn't on the field for a majority of the day.

Is he fine now?

I think so.

Will there be changes to the batting line-up for the second Test?

Can't say as yet. Also, we have to sit down and think about what to do going forward.

What’s the update with Jason Holder?

Not 100 per cent sure. In a couple of days, we will come to know.

Will Kemar Roach be back?

Yeah, he will.

You just had a two-day warm-up game. Was that enough coming into the Test match?

We just had a two-day game, even if that had been a little longer, it would have been helpful. But we had a fruitful camp in Dubai. It's just for us to bounce back. Obviously it’s not the start we wanted, but we can bounce back.

What are the learnings from this Test match?

I think what they (the West Indies batsmen) can look at is how India batted. We saw the guys getting in themselves and backing themselves. Obviously (Prithvi) Shaw was quite attacking, he was 100 per cent into what he was doing. Kohli obviously came in, took his time and flourished. I think if we can learn from them, that will put us in good stead going forward. It's Test cricket, so it’s never easy but if we take a page out of their book and take that into our batting.

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