Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 17/Jul 04:28

Joshua Da Silva on 2nd Test vs England: Winning is our priority

West Indies wicket-keeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva says the regional team will do all in their power to bounce back from the humiliating innings-and-114-run loss they suffered inside three days versus England in the first match of their three-Test series at Lord's Cricket Ground last week. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and his Windies team will have their chance for redemption when the second Test bowls off at Trent Bridge from 6 am TT time on July 18. The Windies were blown out of the water in the first Test – scoring just 121 and 136 – as they crumbled in James Anderson's swansong for England. Da Silva said the regional team is trying to put the defeat in the past and rekindle the form and grit they showed in getting a Test victory versus Australia in Brisbane in January – a game Da Silva labels the highlight of his career thus far. "For us, Test cricket is a priority for me and a lot of the other guys. Getting West Indies back to winning ways and having winning performances is what the world wants to see and we definitely want to see it," Da Silva said at a press conference on July 16. In the first match of their two-Test series against Australia, West Indies were bowled out for just 188 and 120 as they fell to a heavy ten-wicket loss. In a now-famous performance in the second Test, they got a dramatic eight-run victory, with fast bowler Shamar Joseph grabbing figures of seven for 68 en route to snatching the Player of the Series award. Struggling with hamstring tightness in the first Test, Joseph couldn't help the Windies hit The Gabba heights as he went wicketless and conceded 68 runs in 15.4 overs. Da Silva is backing his teammates and the young Guyanese seamer to rebound in a big way. "It happened in Australia: we came back and we won the second Test match. So if we could replicate that with all of us, that's going to be good. "It's not going to be easy. We have to do the right things. We have to bat for long periods and take the wickets when we need to. "Shamar should be good (for the second Test), yeah. I'm guessing. I'm not part of the medical team, so I can't really comment on it. He bowled a couple in the nets today, so I'm sure he will be alright." The West Indies batsmen struggled against the seam bowling of debutant Gus Atkinson in the first Test, with the 26-year-old Surrey player grabbing astonishing match figures of 12 for 106. Players such as Brathwaite, top-order batsman Kirk McKenzie and Da Silva all failed to get into double figures in the first Test, with lower-order batsman Gudakesh Motie getting his team's top score with an innings of 31 on the third and final day. Da Silva said the regional team's batsmen need to value their wickets more to reap greater rewards in the second Test. "The batsmen didn't put our hands up (in the first Test)," Da Silva said. "A few of us got soft dismissals. "Moving into the next Test, the key is getting 20 wickets and putting enough runs on the board for the bowlers to bowl at. "It may not look like it, but (there are) a lot of positives. A lot of guys got starts and just couldn't carry on. "We talked about soaking up more pressure and how we're going to deal with those situations if we are put in those situations again. We don't want to lose wickets in clusters. It's about reminding ourselves about the process and trusting that process, because all of us have a different way of going about it." With the 41-year-old Anderson having played his final international game, Da Silva was asked for his thoughts on England's team makeup as they work their way towards the 2025/26 Ashes series against the Aussies. "(The Ashes series is) the biggest fixture on their calendar. If they're looking forward to it, that means they're looking to groom some players and make sure they have their team ready for them. I don't think it's wrong of them at all...if they take us for granted, we might get a win, or we might win the series. I take that as a favour." The post Joshua Da Silva on 2nd Test vs England: Winning is our priority appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.