Former Australian spinner Rodney Hogg claimed credit for the West Indies’ historic victory in the recent Test match in Brisbane. Rodney Hogg expressed satisfaction that his remarks motivated the West Indies team to perform well in the final Test match against Australia.
After the West Indies’ 10-wicket loss in the series opener in Adelaide, Rodney Hogg criticized and stated the weak teams shouldn’t play Test cricket. In response, Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite said that they were inspired by Hogg’s criticism to win the match.
The visiting team secured an 8-run victory in the final match at the Gabba in Brisbane. The Windies bowled out the opposition for 207 runs while defending a target of 216. Shamar Joseph (7/68) played a crucial role in the team’s first Test win on Australian soil in 27 years.
I’ve Reinvented West Indies Test Cricket – Rodney Hogg
Rodney Hogg highlighted that the West Indies arrived in Australia with inexperienced players. The 73-year-old emphasized that the West Indies players demonstrated improvement and demonstrated abilities.
“Well, apparently, I’ve reinvented West Indies Test cricket. They were hopeless before I made those comments, and they’ve. They’ve all jumped up and been motivated to play well,” Hogg said, as quoted by sen.com.au.
“They came here with six guys that didn’t have a Test cap, and they were so inexperienced, and you sort of thought, ‘Well, they are a bunch of hopeless players’, but give them some game time, a few of them showed, some real ability, didn’t they? The better that the longer the two games went on, the better they got,” he added.
The visiting team suffered a humiliating defeat in the first Test of the two-match series at the Adelaide Oval. The Windies team registered scores of 188 runs and 120 runs across the two innings, while Australia posted 283 runs in their first innings of the red-ball match.
How Good Was My Prediction? – Rodney Hogg
Rodney Hogg reiterated his prediction as the West Indies found themselves at 64-5 on Day 1 of the second Test. Hogg praised the team for an impressive turnaround despite the poor start in the recent Test match.
“When I looked at the West Indies in that first innings in this second Test, I was having a look here, and I’m thinking to myself,” Hogg added.
“‘How good was my prediction?’ They were 5/65, and Starc had three wickets … it was looking like a dead-set two-and-a-half-day game. What an amazing performance. It was fantastic to see them given an opportunity to play a second Test match against Australia.”
Kavem Hodge (71) and Joshua Da Silva (79) forged a 149-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Kevin Sinclair (50) and Alzarri Joseph (32) made valuable contributions to help the team score 311 runs. The visiting team took a 22-run lead after restricting Australia to 289/9.
Following the Test series, the two teams will engage in a white-ball series, comprising three ODIs and as many T20I matches. The ODI series is scheduled to kick off on Friday, February 2. The T20I matches will be played from February 9 to 13.
Also read: Watch: “West Indies are not pathetic” – Kraigg Brathwaite takes swipe at Rodney Hogg after Gabba win
