Trinidad and Tobago wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva said making a half century on his Test debut against New Zealand was surreal. However, having gotten a taste of Test cricket against one of the best teams in the world, he is now more aware of what it takes to be among the best.
The 22-year-old Da Silva’s performances in front of and behind the stumps were among the few positives of what was otherwise a disastrous tour in which the Caribbean side lost each of their two Test matches inside four day by an innings.
Da Silva had scores of 3 and 57 for an average of 30 in the second Test match at Wellington after he replaced Shane Dowrich, who left the tour for personal reasons. He was also quite competent behind the stumps taking two catches in New Zealand’s innings of 460.
With the West Indies battling to save the match, Da Silva put on 82 for the seventh wicket with his Captain Jason Holder, who made 61. However, once Holder was out early on the fourth day, Da Silva batted with authority. He held the New Zealand bowling at bay for two-and-a-quarter hours hitting six fours along the way. His was the penultimate West Indies wicket to fall, trapped lbw by Neil Wagner, but not before the West Indies had cross the 300-run barrier en route to their highest score of the series.
He said he was especially proud of his Test 50.
“It was an unreal feeling, words can’t really describe the moment. I’m still trying to process it actually happened,” Da Silva told Newsday late last week, while revealing that getting to the milestone was tougher than it may have looked having to face New Zealand’s battery of world-class bowlers.
“It was quite the challenge. They don’t let up, always coming for your wicket. Very rarely do you get a bad ball. They ask a lot of questions and always have a plan.”
Notwithstanding the good showing, Da Silva said he came to realize just what it takes to excel at Test level
“It just showed me how much harder I have to work if I want to be consistent at that level. It’s not easy, it takes a lot of physical and mental strength,” he said. (Sportsmax)
