Port of Spain: The captain of South Africa, Temba Bavuma, was left to express his disappointment over Trinidad's adverse weather conditions as his team fell short of victory by five wickets in the first Test against the West Indies.
The match was interrupted by rain on all five days of play at the Port of Spain Test, resulting in a total of 142 overs lost throughout the contest. This unfortunate turn of events meant that both South Africa and the West Indies missed a golden opportunity to elevate their positions in the ICC World Test Championship rankings.
The game concluded as a draw under diminishing light at Queen's Park Oval on Sunday, with the West Indies falling just 97 runs short of securing an unlikely win. Meanwhile, South Africa was unable to capitalize on the final five wickets that would have awarded them 12 World Test Championship points.
This outcome marked the first draw in men's Test cricket in over a year, leaving South Africa in seventh place on the World Test Championship standings with a 26.67 win-loss percentage, and the West Indies maintaining their position in ninth place at 20.83 percent.
South Africa had made a valiant effort to secure a positive outcome by declaring at 173/3 on the final day, but yet another delay caused by rain, coupled with Alick Athanaze's innings of 92, dashed any hopes of a victory for the Proteas.
"We endeavored to secure a favorable result. However, the wicket did not break down as anticipated. In the end, it was a commendable, competitive game of cricket. We entered with an additional player as a safety net. As batsmen, we aim to be more aggressive and convert those fifties into fifties," Bavuma remarked as reported by the ICC.
"We lost time due to the weather. Despite the resources at our disposal, we put forth our best efforts. Keshav and Kagiso Rabada, along with others, supported by additional time, could have had a different outcome," the right-handed batter elaborated.
Kraigg Brathwaite, the captain of the West Indies, took several positives from his team's performance, particularly noting the contributions of some of his batsmen.
All three of the West Indies' top batsmen started in the first innings, with Alick Athanaze coming close to achieving his maiden Test century in the second innings.
"I am pleased with our batting lineup. The players are positive, and I am proud of our batting unit. We believed in our ability to score those runs. It was a challenging task. We need to continue to improve. The pitches in the Caribbean are slower. For me, it's about adapting to the pace of the game," Brathwaite stated.
"It's about belief, planning, and executing the plan. Alick demonstrated that today. Hodge performed well in England. His strategy was a sweep, and he executed it effectively, even though he was out to a sweep," Brathwaite added.
The second and final Test commences in Guyana on Thursday.
