Chase says Sri Lanka triumph is only the beginning for revived West Indies

Roston Chase believes West Indies' long-awaited Test series victory over Sri Lanka should represent the beginning of a sustained resurgence rather than a standalone achievement.

Fresh from guiding the Caribbean side to a 1-0 series triumph, the Test captain said the breakthrough has injected renewed belief into the squad but insisted the challenge now is to transform that success into consistent winning performances.

The series concluded on Tuesday after the second Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium ended in a draw, leaving West Indies with a 1-0 victory after winning the opening match. The result ended a 23-year drought against Sri Lanka in the longest format and secured the regional side's first Test series victory since a 1-0 success over Zimbabwe in February 2023.

It also marked Chase's first series triumph since taking over the Test captaincy last May after four assignments in charge.

'This Is a stepping stone'

Looking ahead to a home two-Test series against Pakistan later this month, Chase said the Sri Lanka victory must serve as the platform for greater achievements rather than a reason for complacency.

"I think this is a stepping stone for us going forward. We sat down and we planned for this Test Championship and we said last year was going to be tough and it was tough, but we said that, this year, the series we have at home, we'd be looking to dominate and win. So I just want the guys to continue from this and let this be a stepping stone and not just leave it there and think 'We won one series so that's enough'."

The captain emphasized that sustained success, not isolated victories, will determine whether the team continues its upward trajectory.

"I think we need to have that consistency. Winning games consistently, that will be good for us in terms of growth and going forward as a cricket nation," Chase said.

Breaking a two-decade barrier

Beyond ending a lengthy wait for a Test series victory, Chase took particular satisfaction in overcoming an opponent that has traditionally posed major problems for the West Indies.

He described defeating Sri Lanka so convincingly as especially meaningful given the struggles the Caribbean side has experienced against them, both at home and overseas.

"I'm very elated, especially against a team like Sri Lanka that we've struggled to beat even at home and, especially when we go away to them, it's very difficult to beat them. So to beat them in a dominating kind of way is very pleasing because we haven't won against them in 23 years."

He also acknowledged how important the victory was after a difficult campaign the previous year.

"It feels great, especially after the year we had last year, to come and start the year with this series victory feels great," he added.

Batters answer the call

While West Indies' bowling attack has often carried the side in recent years, Chase said one of the most encouraging aspects of the series was seeing the batting unit shoulder greater responsibility.

He revealed that improving the team's batting output had been a major point of emphasis leading into the contest and praised the players for delivering under pressure.

"The batting is something that we put a lot of emphasis on, because it was mostly the bowling that was standing up for us in the majority of the games. So it was something that I really put forward to the guys that we need to be able to give the bowlers something to work with, and they raised their hands tremendously in this series."

The captain pointed to the team's ability to convert strong individual performances into imposing match totals as evidence of meaningful progress.

"They had four hundreds, I mean we've been scoring hundreds in the past games, but I mean these were big hundreds and we turned them into big totals as well; not just one guy getting a hundred and we probably just getting over 250. For two guys to get hundreds in two innings, that says a lot," Chase said.

Eyes already on the next challenge

With Pakistan due to arrive later this month for a two-match Test series, Chase hopes the confidence generated by the breakthrough against Sri Lanka will carry over into the next chapter of the ICC World Test Championship campaign.

For the West Indies captain, the latest success is not the destination, it is the first significant step toward restoring consistency and competitiveness in the regional side's Test fortunes.