ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC):

Head coach John Dyson has praised the spirit and determination of his makeshift West Indies side, despite their recent Test series loss to Bangladesh.

The Australian was forced to oversee a second-string side for the two-Test series after the first-choice Windies players went on strike over pay and contract issues.

"For guys who had little experience in international cricket to come forward like that and play as well as they did, I think they did pretty well," Dyson said.

"They've played some good cricket so far. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get across the line and win the two Test matches but they were very closely fought."

Seven players were handed international debuts for the first Test at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex in St Vincent after a squad was hastily assembled.

West Indies crashed to a 95-run loss despite 22-year-old opener Omar Phillips shining with 94, all-rounder David Bernard Jr notching two half-centuries and medium pacer Darren Sammy grabbing a five-wicket haul.

In the second match, West Indies competed admirably, with Travis Dowlin getting 95 and pacer Kemar Roach snaring an impressive six-wicket haul, but they still succumbed to a four-wicket defeat at the National Stadium in Grenada.

Different game

Speaking ahead of the first one-day international which bowls off here on Sunday, Dyson said the Test series result would not be an indicator of how his team would perform in the shorter version of the game.

"This is a totally different game now. We're playing 50-over cricket, not five-day cricket," said the former Australia opening batsman.

"The matches (two Tests) were closely fought. It wasn't a case where we were thrashed in either of the matches, we could have won both so I don't think there's much in it."

After watching the Bangladeshi spinners exploit the flat nature of the wickets in the Test series, Dyson said he was hoping for a change at Windsor Park.

"I'm looking forward to the one-dayers. What I'd like to see is a hard, pacy, bouncy wicket," Dyson said.

West Indies will play Bangladesh in the second ODI next Tuesday before moving to St Kitts for the final match of the three-match series on July 31.