Daren Sammy, a two-time T20 World Cup-winning captain, believes his team can draw inspiration from New Zealand’s remarkable 3-0 victory over India last year. He has urged his players to prepare with the mindset of winning, even though India will begin the series as strong favourites.
Since their famous win in Mohali in 1994, the West Indies have struggled in Indian conditions, losing seven of the nine Tests played there. Their closest contest came at the Wankhede Stadium in 2011, when a thrilling match ended in a tie after both teams finished level in the second innings.
Daren Sammy emphasised that the West Indies must study and replicate New Zealand’s approach to succeed in India.
“We’re definitely going down there with the mindset to win. We’re not just going to go down there and think, ‘Oh, it’s India.’ No. New Zealand went there and did incredibly well, and we should take inspiration from that. But again, it’s understanding the things that New Zealand did in those conditions and trying to emulate them with our guys as well,” Daren Sammy told The Indian Express.
“We’ll plan carefully on how to beat India in their own backyard.” – Daren Sammy
The West Indies will tour India right after the conclusion of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2025. The first Test of the series is scheduled at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 2, followed by the second Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi starting October 10.
Daren Sammy emphasized the importance of adjusting to Indian conditions, noting that the team won’t be playing any warm-up matches ahead of the series, a common challenge for most touring sides.
“In the ten days leading up to the opening Test in India, we’ll be drilling hard and preparing thoroughly to figure out exactly how we’re going to beat India in India,” Daren Sammy said.
The statistics, however, paint a grim picture: West Indies have lost five Tests by an innings and one by ten wickets in India. Except for the Eden Gardens Test in 2002, they have rarely managed to truly challenge the hosts in their last eight encounters.