Having scored just 173 runs at a miserly average of 11.53 and taken only 13
wickets while conceding 774 runs in his last 10 Test matches played Roston
Chase must have considered himself to be a very lucky man when he advised
of his inclusion in the West Indies squad for its two-match tour of Australia.
Chase’s surprise inclusion has provided him with an opportunity to redeem his Test
career, albeit far more as an off-spinner than a top-order batsman.
In explaining his Panel’s choice of Chase as the lone spinner for the two Tests Series
Down Under, West Indies Selection Chair Esmond Haynes indicated that it
was based on the belief that the tall Barbadian’s off-spin would prove to be a
most useful asset on Australia’s bouncy pitches. Haynes indicated further
that if selected Chase would be expected to bat as low as seven
in the West Indies order, thereby emphasizing that his inclusion
would be based far more on his bowling contributions than for
his batting.
The West Indies Selectors’ choice of Chase for the Australia
Tour was publicly supported by the great former West
Indies fast bowler Sir Andy Roberts. Considered to be the
Godfather of contemporary West Indies fast bowlers
and well-respected throughout the region for his candidly
expressed views on the state of Caribbean cricket, Roberts
has publicly often expressed his belief that Chase has been
the most successful spinner in Tests for the West Indies in
recent times.
Roberts’ view, however, would not necessarily have been shared
by a great number of Caribbean cricket fans, particularly those
from Guyana. The Guyanese were demonstratively aggrieved
at Chase’ inclusion ahead of their compatriot Gudakesh Motie
who had made his Test debut in the preceding Series against
Bangladesh. Although he didn’t take a wicket in his debut Test
Motie was arguably sufficiently economical with figures of 0/31-
16 overs to have arguably retained his place on the team and a
seat on the flight to Australia. Moreover, Motie had finally earned
his Test debut after repeated outstanding performances in the annual
Caribbean Regional FourDay Championships. His First Class record
entering his debut Test was 117 wickets captured at an average of
21.52 in 35 matches played. Not bad at all for a left-arm offspinner!
As a Barbados born tall offspinbowling allrounder, Roston Chase had won his place on West Indies’
Test team after strong showings with bat and ball in the 2015-16 Professional Cricket League. He
scored 710 runs in ten matches at an average of 59.16, bowled more than he ever had in the past, and took
23 wickets at an average of 17.26 (including twin five-fors in a match against Guyana).
Slotted in at No. 6 for West Indies’ home series against India in 2016, Chase did not take long to show
he belonged. In his second Test, at Sabina Park, he became only the fourth West Indian, after Denis
Atkinson, Collie Smith and Garry Sobers, to take a five-wicket haul and score a hundred in a Test; he
bowled more overs than anyone else in India’s only innings to finish with 5 for 121, and batted through all of the
fifth day to score an unbeaten 137 and lead his side to an improbable draw. He pulled off that feat again
in 2017 against Pakistan in Roseau, where he made an unbeaten 101, exactly half of his team’s total in the
innings, but they failed to chase down a tough 304. The match before, he had made another hundred, this time
in a West Indies win.
At the start of 2019, Chase took an eight-for and made 54 in a massive win over England in Barbados. He,
however, hit a rough patch batting wise in Tests thereafter resulting in his eventual exclusion from the West Indies team. The Aussie recall has presented him with a chance for redemption, which both himself and
Selection Chair Haynes will be hoping he can grasp fully!
With files from ESPN CricInfo!