'It was a damn good display' - Sammy heartened by WI performance despite defeat
Published:Thursday | November 10, 2011 | 12:00 AM
NEW DELHI, India (IANS/CMC):
West Indies captain Darren Sammy said yesterday he was happy with the performance of his young team, despite losing the first Test against India.
"It was a damn good display by our team here. We were aware how tough it is to beat India at home," Sammy said.
"We played some good cricket. Had we scored some more runs in the second innings, it would have been a different ball game."
West Indies went down by five wickets half-hour after lunch on the fourth day here yesterday, after India lost three further wickets in carrying their overnight 152 for two to the victory target of 276.
"We always had hope. Cricket is a game of shifting fortunes and glorious uncertainties," Sammy said. "So getting the wicket early gave us some hope, but Laxman and Sachin took the game away from us."
Sammy, who picked up five wickets in the match, also praised the medium pacers for their fine performance on a low and slow Kotla track.
Excellent bowlers
"I think we stuck to our plan and played well. The bowlers have performed well and they have done an excellent job since coach (Ottis) Gibson took over last year," the all-rounder pointed out. "The bowlers have worked very hard and we have showed today that we can even put the strong Indian batting line-up in trouble.
"Tendulkar and Dravid are the two most experienced batsmen in world cricket, and I think we kept them under check. We stuck to our plan, and I don't think we could have done anything different."
West Indies snatched a 95-run first-innings lead after bowling India out for 209 in their first innings. However, the tourists' batting folded up for just 180 in the second innings, causing Sammy to lament the poor showing.
"When you play against a top team, you want to create the opportunity to win. We did that in the first innings, but did not bat well in the second," Sammy said. "The pitch played much better on the third and fourth day. We want improvement, we have to look to create opportunities and, hopefully, cash in. We believe we can win matches here."