West Indies captain Roston Chase has promised to turn the Caribbean into a "fortress" for his team, after a strong run of performances on home soil.
The hosts will head into the decisive second Test against Pakistan full of confidence, having secured a commanding 90-run victory in the opening Test at Tarouba. They also recently enjoyed an emphatic innings-and-217-run win over Sri Lanka before the second Test of that series ended in a draw.
Chase believes the team's recent success is the result of a long-term plan that has started to pay off following a disappointing 2025 campaign. "We had a clear plan after last year and identified where we wanted to be as a team," Chase said ahead of the match. "We're moving in the right direction, but we know there's another level to reach."
The skipper also stressed the importance of making home conditions a major advantage. "We've enjoyed some excellent results at home recently, and we want to keep building on that," he added. "Our goal is to make the Caribbean a very difficult place for visiting teams because we understand these conditions better than anyone else."
Pakistan arrive under pressure after suffering eight consecutive defeats in away Test matches, with losses coming on tours of Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh and now the West Indies. The pitch in Port of Spain is expected to provide more assistance to spin than the surface used for the first Test.
Chase is optimistic about contributing with the ball in the series decider, despite a finger injury that prevented him from bowling in the opening Test. "The finger is improving," Chase said. "I managed to bowl a couple of overs in the nets today. There's still some discomfort, but I'm hopeful that by Sunday I'll be able to bowl a proper spell."
Pakistan could respond to the spin-friendly conditions by bringing experienced off-spinner Sajid Khan into the playing XI. West Indies, meanwhile, may consider handing a debut to left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop if they decide an extra frontline spinner is needed, setting the stage for an intriguing battle between the two spin attacks in the series decider.
The series finale gets underway at Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain on Sunday (August 2), with the hosts aiming to wrap up the contest. Another victory would see the West Indies climb above England to seventh in the WTC standings, but a place in the World Test Championship final is no longer within reach.
Source: Yahoo Sports