PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, (Reuters) - West Indies captain Brian Lara admitted his side felt embarrassed after their seven-wicket defeat by England in the second Test yesterday.
England quickly reached their target of 99 to take a 2-0 lead in the series, and Lara said he and his other senior batsmen had to take a serious look at their efforts in the opening two Tests.
``I think the whole team are embarrassed and disappointed that we're not performing,'' Lara said.
``I don't think it's fair to say we've been dominated. At times we have played some great cricket, even better than England, but the English players have played better overall and got the results.''
With team manager Ricky Skerritt announcing his resignation after the match, West Indies are staring at a series defeat against England on home soil for the first time since 1968.
Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, the most experienced of the frontline batsmen, have made just 117 runs between them, with Lara scoring 31, including two ducks.
``It's obvious that the senior batters, including myself, have not got enough runs,'' he said.
``I think in the England team you have Hussain, Butcher and Thorpe and they've been able to get the team out of trouble. We have to do that.
In a tactical move, Ridley Jacobs was elevated above Lara to number four in the order in the second innings and scored 70 to give the home side hope before a late collapse handed the advantage back to England.
``I think it's obvious that between number three and five we've been falling apart very quickly,'' Lara said.
``Ridley has been scoring well with the lower order so we wanted to give him the opportunity to score some runs with us, and though the result is the most important thing, I think it worked.''
Lara, who played with a dislocated little finger on his right hand, said his injury had not been a factor in his form but admitted he had work to do before next week's third Test in Barbados.
``There's no excuse for the way I've been batting,'' he said. ``I have to improve physically and above all, mentally.
``My four dismissals have been two in the slips and two cutting into me, so I have to do a little more to keep my head still and stop going across my stumps.
``It's a situation I've been in before, and a situation that I've come through before, not just once but many times. I still back myself to come through it again.''
Despite a second heavy defeat in less than a fortnight, Lara thinks there are still positives to take to Barbados.
``I think there were moments in both matches where we competed really well,'' he said.
``We just have to work really hard in the time we have before Barbados, look at our mistakes and try not to make them again.''