Publications
Partners
The tourists were outclassed in all departments by the top-ranked Proteas in the first Test in Centurion last week. Defeated by an innings and 220 runs, the apparent gulf between the sides was not technical, according the skipper.
"It was more mental we would say, because a couple of players got starts in the first innings and a few more in the second," Ramdin said on Thursday.
Every batsmen in the top four made it into the 30s in their first innings, but no West Indies batsman, in either innings, got past the 50 mark.
"The guys need to make 70, 80 or a big hundred by carrying on, so the team won't be under pressure."
The last time the West Indies played in Port Elizabeth was in a Boxing Day Test in 2007, where the visitors collected their one and only victory on South African soil.
Ramdin believed his side could use those memories to spur them on to a much-improved performance.
"It was a good match for us. Shivnarine Chanderpaul made a century and Fidel Edwards bowled well," he said.
"It was an all-round team effort. I hope we can put in another team effort on this tour - where we're more consistent and can show we have that self belief - so we can give the Proteas a fight."
While the West Indies were placed eighth in the latest Test rankings, any decent performance from the Caribbean outfit would go a long way to restoring player confidence, the captain said.
"Playing against the number one team in the world you want to do well. When you play well against them you get a lot of credit, so hopefully the guys will look deep into themselves and pull out a magical performance."
