West Indies captain Roston Chase wants his side to establish the Caribbean as one of the toughest places to visit in Test cricket as they look to complete a series victory over Pakistan.
The hosts lead the two-Test series 1-0 after securing a 90-run win in Tarouba. The result lifted West Indies to 30 points in the ICC World Test Championship standings, with the team currently eighth, just above Pakistan.
Speaking ahead of the series decider, Chase said the team has worked hard to recover from a difficult period and is now aiming for greater consistency.
“After having the year we had last year (winning one and losing eight Tests), we sat down with the plan and said this is where we want to be,” Chase said.
The West Indies captain added that the focus will remain on following their plans and executing them properly.
“We want to level up. We want to just come into this second Test, not take anything for granted, just go through the processes that we’ve sat down and talked about.”
West Indies produced an impressive performance in the opening Test, with Justin Greaves and Jayden Seales playing key roles in a dominant bowling display. Chase believes the team can use home conditions to create a strong advantage against visiting sides.
“We’re very blessed and very happy for the results that we’ve been having at home so far,” he said.
“But I want to make home our fortress, where we make it very difficult for teams to come to the Caribbean and beat us.”
The captain was unable to contribute with the ball in the first Test after suffering a right index finger injury. However, he remains hopeful of returning to bowling duties in the decider.
“It’s getting better,” Chase said. “Hopefully, I think I’ll be ready to bowl by Sunday. I bowled two overs in the nets today. It still has a bit of pain.”
“But I think by Sunday, I should be able to at least bowl probably four to five overs consistently.”
