‘Play every ball on merit’: Chase urges West Indies newcomers to stay open-minded in Bangladesh

New Delhi: West Indies captain Roston Chase wants his inexperienced players to approach the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh with an open mind, saying the visitors must adapt to the conditions rather than make assumptions about the pitches.

The first Test begins on Wednesday, with only five members of the West Indies squad having previously played Test cricket in Bangladesh. Chase believes the team should focus on responding to the conditions and the situation of the match instead of deciding in advance how they should approach the game.

“We just tell them to play what they see. We don’t want them to come into the game with any preconceived mindset as to if a pitch is going to spin, if it’s going to seam, or whatever it’s going to do. We just want them to come with a clear and open mind to do whatever is needed of them at any given time to succeed,” Chase told reporters, as quoted by Cricinfo.

Chase added that the team’s approach would depend on the conditions, the scoreboard and the match situation, with every player expected to rely on their individual strengths.

“I wouldn’t say we’re going to go with any specific style. I just think each individual player has their own style and their own strengths and weaknesses. And I just think that the way we’ll play will be dictated by the conditions and by the scoreboard and the situation of the game,” he said.

The West Indies captain has inspected the pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, which will host the opening Test, and expects spin to be a factor despite discussions about preparing more sporting surfaces in Bangladesh.

“I still think they’re going to probably shave down some grass or have a little more preparation, but the thing about a wicket is both sides have to play on it. It’s not a wicket where one side gets to do something and the next team doesn’t get to do it. You still have four innings of cricket, so whoever adapts and adjusts the best on the wicket, I think will come out victorious,” he added.

The visitors will be without in-form batter Shai Hope, who has been rested after an impressive run of performances in India, where he scored four centuries across the ODI and T20I formats.

Chase admitted that Hope’s absence would be a setback but said the team must concentrate on the players available in the squad.

“He’s going to be a big miss for us having Shai Hope out, but he’s been playing a lot of cricket. Obviously, he’s the captain of both white-ball formats; he’s been in great form, but he’s not here, so that’s something that we can’t worry about,” Chase said.

“We have to worry about the 15 guys that we have in the squad and just try to go out there and give our best of ourselves in the batting department,” he added.

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