“After having the year last year [West Indies won one and lost eight], we sat down with the plan and said that this is where we want to be. And as I said, we’re exactly where we want to be. We want to level up,” Chase told reporters at the Queen’s Park Oval on Friday. “We want to just come into this second Test, not take anything for granted, just go through the processes that we’ve sat down and talked about. We want to come and execute them to the best of our ability. And look to get that second victory.
“We’re very blessed and very happy for the results that we’ve been having at home so far. But I want to make home our fortress, where we make it very difficult for teams to come to the Caribbean and beat us. Because it’s our own conditions, we know them inside out, and better than the opposition. So I think we want to really make home advantage count, and we’ve been doing that well so far. So, as I said, we’re lucky to continue in the vein of form that we’ve been in, and to take victory in this second game.”
Adding to West Indies’ confidence is the fact that Pakistan have now lost eight Tests away from home on the trot, across Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh and now the West Indies. What might prove tricky is that the pitch at the Queen’s Park Oval could bring spin into play in a much bigger way than was the case at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba. Jomel Warrican is West Indies’ primary spinner, with Chase the second option. But Chase has a finger injury and didn’t bowl at all in the first Test.
“It’s getting better,” Chase said of the injured right index finger. “Hopefully, I think I’ll be ready to bowl by Sunday. I bowled two overs [in the nets] today. It still has a bit of pain. But I think by Sunday, I should be able to at least bowl probably four to five overs consistently.”
If spin does play a part, Pakistan would be happy. They had played Ali Usman as the lone spinner in Tarouba, but have Sajid Khan in the squad, and Salman Agha as another option. West Indies, too, have the unused and uncapped Joshua Bishop, a left-arm spinner, to turn to should they need it.
