After new Zealand set a never-chased-before target of 531,Greaves and Roach added 180 in an unbroken stand for the seventh wicket. Greaves scored 202 not out off 388 balls and Roach 58 not out off 233 as West Indies batted out 163.3 overs.Their 457 for 6 was the second-highest fourth-innings total in Test cricket, behind only England’s 654 for 5 in the timeless Test against South Africa in Durban in 1939.
“[It was] just pretty much being resilient – the word we’ve thrown around in the dressing room a lot,” said greaves, who also battled cramps towards the end of his innings. “So for me, to be there at the end was really crucial. So anything for the team ultimately.”
“I had a really long chat with coach Floyd Reifer. And he was saying, once you get in, stay in; it’s a good pitch. Rachin [Ravindra] and [Tom] Latham showed us in the second innings. so it was just for us to go out there and play ourselves.”
It was not only Greaves’ highest Test score but also his best in first-class cricket. He became only the seventh batter to make a double-hundred in the fourth innings of a Test. Roach, who went 72 balls without scoring a run at one point, also registered his first-class best.
“Special, special day for me; special day for the team,” Greaves said. “We were pretty much up against it. So, to come out here, batting the whole day after losing Shai [Hope]… We thought we would have probably pushed for a win. But than Kemar, the senior pro, guided me all the way. So pretty much happy for him being there at the end as well.”
Kemar Roach played out 233 balls to score 58 not out.
“To be a part of history is ecstatic. But for me, one day at a time, continue to enjoy it. probably it hasn’t sunk in just yet. Hopefully, over the next couple of days, it can.”
west Indies Played Outstandingly,New Zealand Reflects on Dramatic Test Match
The recent Test match between West Indies and new Zealand was a captivating contest that went down to the wire,with both teams having opportunities to secure victory. ultimately, West Indies opted for a defensive approach in the final hour, playing out for a draw, a tactic New Zealand accepted at the time.
According to Roston Chase, during the final hour, Greaves and Roach informed the team of their intention to simply play out the remaining overs. “We didn’t think that was a bad idea at that time,” Chase stated.
New Zealand captain Tom Latham acknowledged the dramatic nature of the match.”It was a Test match that sort of had it all, really,” he said. “I think the way we were able to put ourselves in a position to win a Test match was what we were after and for it to head down to the final hour with kind of all three [four] results on the cards.”
The match was further complex by injuries to New Zealand seamers. Latham praised the efforts of Zak foulkes and Jacob Duffy, who bowled a important number of overs despite the setbacks. He also highlighted Michael Bracewell’s contribution, noting he bowled 55 overs throughout the innings.
Despite creating several chances,New Zealand was unable to capitalize. Roach was dropped twice off Bracewell’s bowling, and Bracewell also had two unsuccessful lbw and caught-behind appeals that were not given out by the on-field umpire. Had New Zealand retained their reviews, they could have perhaps overturned those decisions.
Latham explained the team’s decision-making regarding the use of reviews. “You look at many times before you’ve finished a game, and you’ve had lots of reviews left. You see your way out,what you think the best option is,and I guess at the time that’s what we thought was the best option.”
Ultimately, Latham conceded that West Indies deserved credit for their performance in the fourth innings. “Sometimes you have to give a little bit of credit where credit’s due,and the way that West Indies played in this fourth innings was pretty outstanding.”