Sammy wants more complete West Indies as crucial ODI looms

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy believes his side has already shown it can hunt down challenging totals, but insists the next step in its evolution is becoming a team capable of winning when it bats first.

With the five-match One-Day International series against New Zealand delicately poised at 1-1, Sammy said the third contest presents an opportunity for the Caribbean side to demonstrate greater balance and adaptability before the action shifts to Barbados for the final two matches.

The Windies produced an accomplished chase of 268 in the opening ODI after electing to field first, but their batting collapsed dramatically in the second encounter, where they were dismissed for just 138 after setting the innings in motion.

Building a team for every situation

Speaking ahead of Wednesday's pivotal clash at Providence Stadium, Sammy acknowledged that conditions have consistently favored the team bowling first, but stressed that successful international teams cannot rely on winning the toss.

"It seems like whoever wins the toss looks to bowl first, but we have to become a team that can set totals and also defend it and we're working on that," Sammy said.

He added that the aggressive, confident mindset displayed during run chases must also be evident when the Windies are tasked with building an innings from the outset.

"We just need to apply that same mindset that we have in the chase, whether it be a turning wicket, which is what we're faced with now in Guyana, but it is something that we really have to get better at and making better decisions when the challenge comes from the bowlers."

Learning from the batting collapse

Sammy pointed directly to the batting display in the second ODI as the decisive difference between the two matches.

While he praised his bowlers for keeping New Zealand's scoring in check, he said the batting group failed to properly assess the conditions and produce a competitive total.

"I think we all know what the big difference was between game one and two; we didn't bat as well as we should have in conditions that we are quite familiar with."

The head coach urged his batters to read the pitch more quickly and tailor their approach to the demands of the surface.

"So it's important for us as a batting group to be a little bit more aware of the situation and assess a little faster as to what is required on the surface and what is a good total on that surface. Yes, the conditions are challenging, but if we stick to the process of how we go about doing things, we give ourselves a better chance of executing our batting plans."

Momentum before Barbados

Although disappointed with the batting, Sammy found encouragement in the bowling unit's performance, believing it provided the platform for victory had the batters supplied enough runs.

"The bowling was good; we made them fight for the total, but we all saw if we had put a better score on the board, we would have been in a better position to win."

With the remaining two matches scheduled for Kensington Oval in Barbados, Sammy emphasized the importance of carrying a series advantage into the final leg of the contest.

"Trusting the process is something we've been preaching, and home success is really one of the things we really want to improve on.

"Apart from the Sri Lanka series that was rain-affected, we've had a good record at home, so we want to keep that record and we do that by trying to go into Barbados one up and trying to be better in Barbados and give ourselves a better chance of qualifying [for the 2027 Cricket World Cup] and winning the series, which is the main objective."

For Sammy, the mission extends beyond simply defeating New Zealand. It is about forging a more complete West Indies team, one capable of adapting to every challenge, regardless of whether it is chasing a target or setting one.