Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo eager to exploit Sri Lankan pitches

Colombo: West Indies leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo says he is looking forward to his first taste of Test cricket on Sri Lankan soil.

The 29-year-old toured here last year with West Indies A but says the thrill of playing the longest format had left him highly motivated for the two-Test series, reports CMC.

West Indies will play two Tests, three ODIs and two T20 internationals against Sri Lanka.

“It’s my first time in Sri Lanka playing Test cricket. I’ve heard a lot about Sri Lanka and the pitch taking spin, so I really want to play here ... They are one of the best teams in the world at playing spin,” Bishoo said on Sunday.

“At the end of the day, you have to play your cricket and try to enjoy it as much as possible and be up to the standard. I just want to do well, as with every other series and every match that I play, I just want to do well and enjoy it as much as possible."

“My confidence is there, there’s nothing to worry about too much. I just have to go and put the ball in the right areas and just focus on your game and do what you have to do at the set time,” he added.

Bishoo has enjoyed success ever since returning to Test cricket earlier this year, following a three-year spell outside the selectors frame.

The right-armer played the second Test of the three-match series against England in April, taking five wickets in the match, and followed up with a brilliant six-wicket first innings haul in the first Test against Australia at Windsor Park in Dominica.

“One of the things (I have been focussing on) is staying tough and enjoying my cricket as much as possible and just keep working hard at my cricket,” the Guyanese explained.

After just three days here, West Indies have come face to face with the challenge of the Sri Lankan heat, with temperatures soaring past 32 degrees celsius.

And Bishoo said it was vital the team stuck together as a group in order to survive the rigours of the tour.

“If the place is hot, you can’t do anything about it. At the end of the day, you still have to play cricket in it and you have to be mentally tough and mentally strong,” he said.

“We have to enjoy the tour as much as possible, stick together as a unit and do well. Sticking together will help the team a lot, that’s very, very important … just supporting each other. As I’ve said over and over, we have to enjoy the cricket as a team.”

West Indies face Sri Lanka President’s XI in a three-day tour match starting on Thursday.