Roston Chase acknowledged his West Indies side was comprehensively outplayed and tactically out manoeuvred in the third Test, which sealed a 2-0 series loss to New Zealand.
After the hosts completed a mammoth first-innings total of 575 for 8, New Zealand declared their second innings at a blistering 306 for 2.
Despite reaching 87 without loss, West Indies collapsed to 138 all out under Jacob Duffy’s five-wicket burst and Ajaz Patel’s spin, a turning point in the match.
“As I said, disappointed,” Chase stated. “We really wanted to get a win here for the first time since 1995. That was the ultimate goal, and we fell short.”
Specifically pointing to the unexpected speed of the pitch’s decline, the Barbadian said, “We thought it would have spun, but we didn’t look for it to deteriorate as much as it did. This wicket got brown very, very fast.”
Chase noted the team’s rare achievement of three centuries in the series, but his own tenure as captain has coincided with a significant decline in batting: nine single-digit scores in 16 innings, including five in New Zealand, which has dropped his Test average below 25.
“Yeah, I think I had a tough series, very below par for my standards. I didn’t really lead from the front on the field. I thought that leading, in terms of words and encouragement, was all good and well. But in terms of producing, I thought I let myself down and the team down as well.”
