‘In the dressing room we said we need to keep fighting’

Kyle Mayers hit a double hundred in his debut Test to snatch the first Test away from the Tigers and hand the visitors a morale boosting win at Chattogram. Bangladesh were in the driving sit for four days before Mayers tore apart the Bangladesh attack with an unbeaten 310-ball 210, laced with 20 fours and seven sixes. Mayers said that the Windies side wanted to keep on fighting and he always knew that just scoring a ton will not be enough to win the match.

Windies were three down for 59 runs before Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner put together an incredible 216-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Mayers stayed till the end to carry his side to the finish line.

In the process, Windies pulled off the biggest chase in Asia along with a handful other records. Mayers too became the holder of an incredible record, bagging the highest fourth-innings score in Asia.

Mayers said that his side always had the belief even as Bangladesh were in the driving seat for majority of the five-day Test.

"I am always a positive person. I always believe in my abilities and the team, and I always was positive. We never gave up. We always said in the dressing room that we need to keep fighting," Mayers said in post-match ceremony.

The 28-year-old commended the effort from the bowlers, especially Shannon Gabriel while also hoping that his effort can inspire youngsters from the West Indies to work hard.

"The captain and coach told the bowlers as well that you need to keep fighting on a pitch like this. Shannon [Gabriel] put in great effort. It's a great feeling to be playing Test cricket. Then to go on and score a century, and then to make it a double, and then going on to win this Test. I would like to be thankful to my teammates, my coaches and family back home. A guy making his debut and making a double should inspire all youngsters to work hard and reach this level," he said.

Later while answering to media questions, he revealed his determination in getting the win in a wicket that did not always suite strokeplay.

"It was difficult. Some balls stayed low, some bounced. Guys were spinning the ball, they bowled arm balls. The wicket was all over the place. I just had to stick to my game plan and try to play as straight as possible, and hope for the best.

"A hundred was on the cards for me but I knew the team required me to score more than a hundred. So when I was batting, I was thinking that I needed to make 150. I thought at the start of the day that if I get 150-160, my team would be in good stead to cross the line. But as I reached 160, I knew I had to push more. It encouraged me to go further.