Seeking a historic victorious conclusion

We start the last of three Test matches against South Africa in a position that very few people expected we would be in at this stage.

We have had some challenges, especially with key players suffering injuries at critical junctures, but we are determined to persevere and seek a historic and victorious conclusion.

None of us is thinking about a draw. We are going out there to win this Test and we will be trying to execute our plans in that vein. We are going to give it our all at Kingsmead.

Over the past few days, we have been back in the nets working hard to correct the things which cost us the second Test in Cape Town. The guys are happy and relaxed and are looking forward to this match. We are confident that if we do things right consistently and support each other on the field – build partnerships, bowl in the right areas and field well – that we will be in a position to pressure South Africa.

In essence, we just have to emulate our performance in the opening Test in Port Elizabeth.

Naturally, the loss of our captain, Chris Gayle, for this crucial match – due to a fractured thumb – is a massive setback but we have to overcome that and move on. I’m not sure about the status of fast bowler, Fidel Edwards, who suffered a hamstring injury early in the Cape Town clash. I hope he will be able to play, but we will still have to proceed with our mission even if he too is sidelined.

The team has put the disappointment of our seven-wicket loss in the second Test behind us. Though we were beaten in four days, we were not disgraced and I want to congratulate my team-mates on the effort and grit which they displayed in that game. We were in the match for most of it and, with a little more application and luck, the tide could have swung our way decisively.

We needed a bigger first-innings score – in excess of 400 runs, I think, would have put us in command of the match – but we only managed 243. Then South Africa’s sixth-wicket partnership of 129 between Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher seized the advantage from us and was the basis for a 78-run first-innings lead for South Africa.

Regarding my promotion to open the second innings with my Trinidad & Tobago captain, Daren Ganga, I readily embraced this responsibility which stemmed from the fact that Gayle was having some trouble with his right hamstring which is still not fully healed.

I was happy to help my team in any way I could and Daren and I were able to see off the new-ball bowlers and post a decent partnership of 59. It was a great opportunity for me to spend some time at the crease and Daren helped me a lot by talking to me and advising me on what to do. We tried to rotate the strike as much as possible and get runs wherever possible. The South African bowlers were quite accurate in their line and length and it was hard to score.

In the end, the target which we set South Africa of 185 runs was not enough. We are learning from each match and, hopefully, the lessons from our defeat will help us rebound here in Durban.

I will, of course, want to resume where I left off with the bat and get a bigger score to contribute to West Indies’ cause. If every player can chip in somehow, I’m confident we will excel again and possibly even come out on top.