Source: SPORTMAX
Jamaican batsman Brandon King is embracing both the challenge and the moment, as West Indies hope to salvage some pride by closing out their three-match Test series against world number one Australia on a high under lights at Sabina Park.
The third and final encounter, set to bowl off on Saturday, will be a landmark occasion—Jamaica’s first-ever pink-ball day/night contest and King’s first in the format as well as he continues to find his footing in Test cricket. The 30-year-old right-hander pointed out that having the opportunity to represent the Caribbean side in a Test match on home soil is a dream finally coming true.
“Yeah, obviously it’s a great feeling to play at home. I’ve played a few white ball games at home before, and it felt incredible. So, this being the first day-night Test match at Sabina, I think it’s going to be great. I’m looking forward to it in terms of carrying on from the last game,” King told Cricket West Indies (CWI) media.
King, who registered a maiden Test half-century in a first-innings knock of 75, enters the Test in positive spirits following his performance in Grenada, where he showed glimpses of the calm, composed batting that made him a mainstay in West Indies’ white-ball squads. Though Australia holds an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, King is focused on applying the same formula that worked for him in the second Test.
“I just want to have consistency of approach. You know the formula that I used to go there and approach my batting in the last game; I just want to come in this game and do the same and see what happens,” King noted.
Though Australia boast the most experience with the pink ball day/night encounters, King sees the occasion as an exciting challenge.
“It’s something I’m looking forward to. You want to play against the best in any arena that you are in. You want to compete against the best and see where you stand. So I’m looking forward to it, and they’ve played the most pink ball games, so they’re very experienced. So it may be a good challenge,” he shared.
That said, King pointed out that the effort of the West Indies’ bowling unit has been a standout feature of the series, already taking all 40 Australian wickets across the two Tests. However, King is optimistic that the batters will follow suit, as while they have shown promise in bursts throughout the series, he admits the next step is stringing those moments together for longer periods.
“I think just a little bit of consistency throughout the Test match. If you look at the last two games, we’ve been competing with them up to a certain point and then kind of fall away a little bit. But the reality is we’re playing against the number one team in the world. So, for us to win or to challenge for a win, we need to be consistent in all aspects of the game right through to the end. So we’re just looking to improve on those little one percenters to see if we can carry through this time,” King declared.
“The bowlers have been fantastic. To get 20 wickets in the games is incredible from them. I’ve seen the work that they put in in training, so it’s good to see that it pays off in the game, and they come with the same, if not more, intensity in the game. So it’s good for us, especially as a batting unit, to see how hard those guys are working and to try and help to put us in a position for us to perform and win games,” he added.
As for the Sabina Park surface, King is hopeful the pitch will offer a balanced contest between bat and ball—something that was lacking in the bowler-friendly conditions of the earlier Tests.
“Sabina Park is usually a decent wicket. It’s usually a balanced wicket with something for the bowlers and the batters. But that’s what you want; you want a wicket that is competitive on both ends. So I’m expecting it to be a decent wicket, a more balanced wicket, and hopefully, it will be a good game,” he ended.
