Roston Chase Cites Infrastructure Woes as West Indies Falter in First Test Against India

The persistent batting challenges faced by the West Indies are largely attributed to inadequate financial resources and subpar infrastructure across the Caribbean, as stated by Test captain Roston Chase following their loss to India in the series opener in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

India secured a victory in just three days and is expected to complete a 2-0 series sweep in Delhi starting on Friday, against a West Indies team that suffered a 3-0 defeat at home to Australia in July.

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In Ahmedabad, the West Indies managed scores of 162 and 146, failing to bowl out India who only needed to bat once.

“I believe the system in the Caribbean lacks quality training facilities and infrastructure,” Chase stated to reporters following West Indies’ innings defeat by 140 runs.

“I don’t want to use this as an excuse for our recent poor performances. Players still have the responsibility to find ways to score runs and take wickets, but it is true that financial struggles exist in the Caribbean. Any assistance to enhance our cricket infrastructure would be welcomed,” he added.

The West Indies batted for a total of 89.2 overs in Ahmedabad, appearing vulnerable against both pace and spin, which Chase linked to the conditions back home.

“The Caribbean pitches are not very conducive to batting for long durations or achieving high scores,” noted the all-rounder.

“Additionally, the outfields in the Caribbean tend to be slow, making it difficult to even secure two runs when the ball is hit into gaps. These are some of the issues we face in the Caribbean.”

The West Indies, who were dismissed for 27 in a test against Australia, have surpassed 250 only once in their last 15 Test innings.

“We have struggled to even bat through 80 overs or to post 250-300 runs on the board,” Chase observed.

“Failing to capitalize on winning a toss by batting through the first day often puts us at a disadvantage.”

Published on Oct 05, 2025