No hiding place in Test cricket – Estwick

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (CMC):

West Indies assistant coach Roddy Estwick said the Caribbean side had been forced to have “honest and open discussions” in the wake of their chastening inning’s defeat to New Zealand last weekend in Hamilton.

He said apart from the knowledge that improvements were needed, it was clear West Indies need to display more fortitude and take more responsibility for their roles, warning the squad there was no “hiding place in Test cricket”.

However, with a quick turnaround time between the second Test, starting here on Friday (today, Jamaica time), Estwick also stressed it was important the Windies closed the chapter on the defeat and look ahead to the challenge of levelling the two-match series.

HONEST DISCUSSIONS

“You have to have honest and open discussions. This is Test cricket, this is a test of everything – your physical, your mental, everything,” Estwick told a media conference.

“So we’ve had discussions, but like Jason (Holder) said earlier in an interview, the talking has to stop. We have to go out now and stay in the contest, stay in the fight, because you know New Zealand is going to be full of fight. We’ve got to be ready.

“The game in Hamilton is gone. We’ve got to look forward to this one in Wellington, and we’re representing eight million people back in the West Indies and they want to see us fight, and we’ve got to be prepared to fight.

He continued: “We just can’t roll over and say, ‘Well, New Zealand is a good side so we’re not going to fight, and we’re going to lay down and let them run all over us.’

“We’ve just got to stay in the fight, stay in the contest, and once we can in the contest, you’ve got a chance.”

West Indies showed precious little grit in the Seddon Park contest after winning the toss and bowling on a grassy pitch, as New Zealand piled up 519 for seven declared on the back of captain Kane Williamson’s career-best 251.

In reply, the visitors folded meekly for 138, with no batsman passing 30, and were dismissed for 247 in their second innings, after being asked to following on by 381 runs, to lose by an inning and 134 runs before lunch on day four.

Estwick stressed the importance of the mental approach, noting that the Windies needed to prepare themselves for difficult battles.

“You’ve got to be prepared to work hard,” said the former Barbados pacer.

“The bowlers have got to be prepared to bowl long spells – a lot of overs – the batsmen have got to be prepared to bat for a very, very long time. This is Test cricket, this is one of the better teams in the world and you’ve got to be prepared to do those things.

“If you’re not prepared to do these things, then you go and play T20 cricket; but you’ve got to be able to be prepared to scrap and fight and battle and really represent.

“Put a price on your wicket, put a price on every ball you bowl, put a price on every ball you field, and put a price on every ball you catch. There is no other way; there is no hiding place in Test cricke,t and especially in New Zealand – you can’t relax for one minute.”