IND vs WI: Reifer Stresses Need for West Indies to Step Up in Middle Overs

Head coach Daren Sammy in Guwahati. (PC: Debasis Sen)

West Indies batting coach Floyd Reifer admitted that the team’s batting group will have to work on their game against spin, which plays a major role during the middle overs of ODI cricket, in order to perform well.

In the first ODI, West Indies got off to a solid start, with the openers adding a century partnership. The visitors were going strong before Kuldeep Yadav turned things in India’s favour during the middle overs, finishing with a four-wicket haul. That spell proved to be the difference in the high-scoring game.

“When you play on slow, turning wickets in different parts of the world, guys have to make adjustments and wickets will fall on those types of surfaces,” said Reifer ahead of the second ODI. “But batting in the middle overs is something that we continue to work on. We want to get really consistent with that. The aim is to get back to 2024 and 2025, when we scored at more than six runs an over in the middle overs. But it’s a work in progress. Guys have improved their batting against spin, but there’s still a long way to go for us.”

The Men in Maroon were sloppy in the field in Thiruvananthapuram. Reifer has reiterated the importance of fielding, particularly when playing against top teams.

“Fielding is an attitude,”  he said. “You come on the day and you’ve got to be up for it. You’re playing against the No. 1 team in the world on good wickets and fast outfields – it’s important to take your chances. You can’t afford to drop players like Gill, Rohit and Kohli. We’ve really emphasised the importance of staying focused on the field and bringing the right attitude.”

All-rounder Justin Greaves, who scored a century in the first game, has been ruled out of the second ODI. As a result, West Indies are expected to make changes in Guwahati, where a virtual series decider will be played.

The post IND vs WI: Reifer Stresses Need for West Indies to Step Up in Middle Overs appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.



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