NEW DELHI, India — After a bruising defeat in the opening Test, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy is demanding a spirited response when his team returns to face India in the second and final Test on Friday.
The visitors endured a humbling innings-and-140-run loss inside three days last Saturday — their fifth defeat in six Tests — but Sammy insists that the camp has regrouped, reflected, and rediscovered its determination to fight back.
“A conscious effort to be better”
Speaking at Wednesday’s pre-match press conference, Sammy said the players had conducted honest self-assessments after the first Test and arrived at training with renewed intent.
“Things have not been going well for a little bit… I see some of the guys lack confidence and it’s something that has to come from within,” he admitted. “With lack of performances, it’s always hard to rise yourself above that level.
“But my job is to continue to instil that in the way we practice, in the way we think, in the way we plan and strategize.”
The coach revealed that the tone of the team’s Wednesday training session gave him encouragement. “The conversations we had after the Test, to see the way they came out there and really put a conscious effort to train better — I expect some sort of improvement, at least in the way they think and the belief they have going into this Test match.”
History against them, but belief renewed
The challenge ahead remains formidable. The West Indies have not beaten India in a Test match since 2002, and their last victory on Indian soil dates back to 1994, when the series ended in a draw.
Yet Sammy is unshaken by those statistics. Instead, he sees opportunity in adversity.
“When it’s all gloomy and doom and you see the sun burst through the clouds, it brings a good mood,” he reflected. “Honestly, from the practice today, I saw a difference.”
A call for accountability and self-belief
Sammy described how he had challenged each player to look inward and take ownership of the team’s improvement.
“I asked and challenged every person to speak of yourself — speak about what you have to do or what you need to do in order for this team to be successful or competitive. Don’t look at the man next door, look at your own self,” he explained.
“The guys spoke about the things that they think they need to do, and to see them really make a conscious effort out there to practice like that — I’m hoping that can now dive into the Test match and we’ll be a much more competitive side that challenges for a Test match win.”
Eyes on a fresh start
For Sammy, this second Test represents more than a fixture — it’s a test of character, pride, and belief. As the West Indies prepare to take the field in Delhi, the head coach’s message is unmistakable: the time for excuses is over; the time for fight has arrived.
