Samuels hungry for more success

West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels said his two years out of the game have increased his desire for success. Samuels spent two years on the sidelines serving a suspension for inappropriate links to an Indian bookmaker. His suspension ended last March, and he has made a successful return to the game in the Caribbean, scoring heavily in domestic competitions. "I got a chance after two years in Jamaica and scored 55 runs," he said. "Yet I was left out. There is a harder fire inside me. I knew when the opportunity presented itself, I needed to grab it with both hands." "I have faced a lot of obstacles in my life. But it has helped me to take life more seriously. Since cricket is the base of my life, I am taking cricket even more seriously." Samuels' unbeaten 78 anchored West Indies to 190 in response to India's first innings total of 201, but he expressed great disappointment that he was unable to get a hundred. "I am not satisfied with my 78," he said. "In domestic cricket, I have been scoring a lot of hundreds and double-hundreds, and I now want the world to see it." "I knew it was a longer version of the game and I wanted to take my time. I was determined to spend a lot of time inside. "I wanted to score my hundred and then express myself (with attacking strokeplay)." Samuels said he enjoyed the rivalry with the Indians, particularly their first innings bowling hero Ishant Sharma. "I have done well against them, but they are presently the World's No.1 team," he said. "I want to score bigger runs against them. "I have raised the bar; set bigger standards for myself. I want to be consistent. "There is not only a lot of competition on the field, but also off it between me and Ishant. "He wants to get me out and I keep telling him I wouldn't get out to him. He bowled extremely well and it was tough but he didn't get me out."