Biggest test for 'fearless' Sammy

“The brand of cricket we come here and play should be fearless,” the skipper said on the eve of the first Test. “This is the biggest series for most of the guys here. Playing cricket in India is indescribable. The way people look at cricket here, it is almost like a religion. This should be the biggest test for us, and for me as captain as well.”

Sammy has made it a point that his young team realises the rich legacy of West Indian cricket. “The team saw Fire in Babylon, and all the guys watching would have realised what cricket means to the people in the Caribbean, would have seen the history and what it represents,” Sammy pointed out. “Like I said, we have to be fearless because we know what it means to the Caribbean people if we do well. Fearless will be one word we will use throughout the series.”

The West Indies ran a depleted India close on home soil earlier this year, losing the three-Test series 0-1. “Looking back, if we had batted better, we could have come out on top,” observed the all-rounder. “We have prepared well for the tour of the sub-continent. We had a two-week camp in Barbados, then we trained at the Centre of Excellence in Dubai where we were exposed to similar conditions. We have just had success in Bangladesh. The top order is scoring runs. It is all about occupying the crease in Tests, not just scoring runs.
“There is a bit of grass, but it looks like a good wicket; runs there to be scored,” Sammy said of the Kotla strip. “With our bowling attack, I think what we put in is what we will get out. We are looking forward to a very interesting start to the series.”