Antigua: West Indies coach Andre Coley said his side aims to end the year with a high note by clinching the two-match Test series against Bangladesh. The series opening Test starts tomorrow (Friday) at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in Antigua. According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, both teams come into the series after experiencing disappointing results in their recent outings. West Indies lost their last Test series to South Africa at home, a defeat that Coley described as disappointing. Similarly, Bangladesh recently faced Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series, which they lost 2-1. West Indies, on the other hand, arrived into the Bangladesh series following a 3-1 loss to England in a five-match T20I series at home. The two Tests are part of the ICC World Test Championship matches, though both teams are out of the race for the final. However, Coley emphasized the importance of a victory against Bangladesh to boost team morale before the upcoming Pakistan series next year. "It's very importan t for us to come out with a winning result on home soil before we head off to Pakistan...these are the final four Test matches in this edition of the World Test Championship. It is very important for us to do well here, win the series, and get momentum heading into Pakistan," he stated. Led by Kraigg Braithwaite, the 15-member West Indies squad is missing star all-rounder Jason Holder but includes a mix of experienced players and emerging talent. Coley believes the Bangladesh series presents a perfect opportunity for this group to demonstrate their capability in the longest format. He noted, "We have players here who have played against Bangladesh - home and away- and were successful, and won those series. You know players are familiar with each other and we also have some new players who have not played any of those series." Coley further added, "It's an opportunity for senior players and emerging players you know to show we are capable of as a team and we continue to build and put everything together on t he back of last year and year and half and as you said look to close on the year in really good form."
