Sammy says Windies going into Test series against Kiwis with “winning mindset”

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand – Having been competitive in both the preceding T20I and One Day International series against New Zealand, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy says the team is brimming with confidence ahead of their upcoming Test series.The visitors last defeated the Kiwis in a Test series in the Caribbean in 2012 and will be searching for their first Test series win in New Zealand in over 30 years.

In fact, the West Indies have not won a Test match in New Zealand since 1987, when they drew the three-match series 1-1.Despite their underwhelming record against the hosts, Sammy said he was impressed by his team’s mindset heading into the first Test, which bowls off on December 2.The regional team will play a two-day warmup match against a New Zealand XI beginning on Wednesday.“In the [T20I and ODI] series, we created so many opportunities to win. When I look at the seven games that were played, we were in contention to win five of them, but we let it slip away, but credit must go to New Zealand on how they’ve made home a fortress.

“I was quite impressed with the positives that we had coming out of that series and now we’re in the Test match arena. We haven’t won here since 1995 – that’s 30 years – so we have a challenge on our hands,” Sammy told members of the media following a practice session on Monday.“But I was just watching these guys prepare and the intensity at training today is something that we’ve spoken about and to see the immediate reaction to the things that we want to see, I’m quite happy with the way preparations are going.”

Sammy said the West Indies were looking to upset New Zealand in the three-match series and end the year on a winning note.

Sammy confident West Indies can end 30-year drought in New Zealand

​West Indies head coach Daren Sammy is backing his Test team to rise to the challenge and secure a historic result in New Zealand. The touring side begins its quest for a first Test match and series win on New Zealand soil since 1995, a drought stretching three decades.The last time the West Indies tasted victory in a Test series in New Zealand, stand-in captain Courtney Walsh for the injured Richie Richardson delivered a masterclass, taking 13 for 55 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. However, history since that match has been less forgiving. The head-to-head record heavily favours the Black Caps; while the West Indies dominated the rivalry between 1951 and 1995, New Zealand has dominated the West Indies ever since.

​Of the 49 Tests played between the two nations, New Zealand has won 17, with 13 of those victories coming after 1995. The West Indies' only Test win against New Zealand since 1995 came on home turf in the Caribbean. Despite these daunting numbers, Sammy remains optimistic that his team will compete fiercely.​His confidence stems partially from the recently concluded white-ball series, where New Zealand won the T20 series 3-1 and the One Day International (ODI) series 3-0.

​"One thing we've shown over here, we challenge them," Sammy stated. The two-time T20 World Cup-winning captain added, "In the T20 series, in the ODI series, I don't think the result reflected on how we played."