India vs West Indies: Captain Brathwaite working on fitness to regain batting form 

Brathwaite scored 9, 10 and 0 across formats in the ongoing limited over series against India as West Indies suffered four straight games.
Brathwaite scored 9, 10 and 0 across formats in the ongoing limited over series against India (Photo | AP)
Brathwaite scored 9, 10 and 0 across formats in the ongoing limited over series against India (Photo | AP)

PORT OF SPAIN: Struggling with his form, West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite said he is working on his fitness and trying to "reprogramme" his thoughts to get his batting back in order.

Brathwaite scored 9, 10 and 0 across formats in the ongoing limited over series against India as West Indies suffered four straight games.

"I think batting-wise I have to reprogramme my thinking about hitting and swiping and batting properly," he told reporters on the eve of the final ODI against India on Wednesday.

"We are having a lot of honest conversations with the coaches and the staff and I think one thing that's kept me back is my fitness. I am working very, very hard in the past 12 to 14 months on my fitness. I believe I can get a bit stronger as well."

Brathwaite's last memorable innings came in the World Cup in England when he blasted an 82-ball 101 to take West Indies to the brink of victory against New Zealand.

But his attempt to hit a match-winning six in the penultimate over cost him dearly as West Indies went down by five runs.

"I had a lot of time to bat. I had a clear thought process.

I was working very hard off the pitch, as I am now, with the bat, in trying to do the right things and the simple things as long as possible," said Brathwaite.

"I had enough time so I could play myself in getting so at the back end when I normally come in to bat to start my innings I already had (faced) 40-50 balls.

The challenge for me is that that situation won't always present itself.

"(In the India series,) being at home, we have changed the combination a bit.There I played at seven (six), here at eight, nine or maybe seven. The thing I take away from that (New Zealand) innings is the way I structured and built the innings which allowed me to kick off at the back end," he added.

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