Jamaica: Remarking that he is forced to curb his natural aggression at times because of enormous responsibility as a senior player, West Indies batting mainstay Marlon Samuels has called on his side’s young brigade to elevate their performance in order to stage a strong comeback in the ongoing four-Test series against India.
“We have to just encourage the younger players that it’s not just the senior players doing the job,” Samuels was quoted as saying by the 'Jamaican Observer'.
“To be honest, there’s a lot of pressure there. I’m not going to tell you there’s not a great deal of pressure. It’s not just to stand up and score 50 or a 100. I have to bat through, because I’m batting at four, so I have to dominate but know when to if we lose a wicket to tone it down. Sometimes if I’m on the go I like to have a go, but the responsibility is great so I have to change my game,” he said.
West Indies suffered an innings and 92-run defeat against the Virat Kohli-led team inside four days in the opening Test in Antigua and will look to iron out their flaws in the second match at the Sabina Park starting from Saturday.
Relishing the opportunity to play in front of his home crowd, the 35-year-old Jamaican batsman insisted that his side have the capability to turn the tides against the formidable Indian side.
“It’s a great opportunity, not only for me, but for the team to come out here and play some positive cricket and put up not just a challenge, but a fight,” Samuels said while adding that he was eager to replicate his limited-overs form in the Test arena.
“The most important thing is to win in front of the home crowd and to play as a unit. The team [players] have it in them to come back; they have pride,” added the batsman, who scored a fluent 50 in the second innings of the first Test.
Samuels, who played an instrumental role in his side winning the ICC World T20 in India earlier this year, was named West Indies cricketer of the year prior to the series.
