Floyd Reifer: "We know we have to play cricket for the six million people in the Caribbean." © AFP Enlarge
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West Indies captain Floyd Reifer has said the team is aware of the need to level the two-match Test Series against Bangladesh, having lost the first match in Kingstown.

"We are raring to go in this Test match because we know we have to play cricket for the six million people in the Caribbean," Reifer said. "This match means a lot to Caribbean cricket and to people in the West Indies, so we know we have to level the series."

West Indies lost by 95 runs, following a capitulation on the last day at Arnos Vale, to hand Bangladesh their first overseas Test victory and their second win overall. Reifer though, remained optimistic that the second line of West Indies players could draw level in the second match, beginning on Friday.

"The guys are very confident," he said. "We know we have to win this game, we know all the things we have to do and what is expected of us. We are just asking the people in Grenada to come out and support the team."

Reifer, 36, identified batting as a weak area and said the team needed to improve to reverse the result. "We have to bat better. In the first innings (of the first Test), I thought we could have scored more runs. We had a good start. At 228 for 4, I thought we could have scored 350 to 400 runs but we fell short."

He also believed the inclusion of allrounder Ryan Hinds would bolster the batting. "Ryan was the best allrounder in the Caribbean in the last three or four years," he said. "He has scored a lot of runs and taken a lot of wickets. He is always a good man to have in your side."

The West Indies squad, cobbled together in haste after renowned and senior players opted out due to the WICB-WIPA dispute, have a large number of Test debutants. Reifer pointed out that there was an unfamiliarity with playing Tests and many of the players found it difficult to to cope with the five-day format.

"We exercised a bit of impatience," Reifer said. "Most of the guys play four-day cricket in our regional competition, so when you get into day five of a Test match, a lot of guys are not accustomed to that. I was discussing with the coach [John Dyson] that we have to find ways to get the guys to concentrate on day five, which is a very important day in Test cricket."