Chandrika wants to put debut behind him

Rajendra Chandrika is keen to move on from his forgettable debut against Australia in Kingston, where he registered a pair to become the 40th batsman to start his Test career in such fashion.

Chandrika, called up to replace an indisposed Marlon Samuels for the second Test, lasted a total of nine balls and 16 minutes in the match, falling to Mitchell Starc in both innings. He put his failures down to poor shot selection.

"Once I reached the middle all I had wanted is to get off the mark in both innings but the shot selections were not good," Chandrika told Guyana Chronicle. "I just want to put that Test behind me and concentrate on the future. I still have a lot of cricket in me so one bad Test is not the end."

Coach Phil Simmons too had words of encouragement for Chandrika. "He has to understand that he can bat, or else he would not have been on the team. He has to keep that confidence in himself, correct his flaws and move forward in his career," Simmons was quoted as saying by the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian.

Chandrika had opened the batting for the WICB President's XI in a tour game at North Sound and made 74 in the first innings before being dismissed for a first-ball duck in the second dig.