Andrew Symonds a hit in the Caribbean

MELBOURNE: Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds has never traced his Caribbean roots, but this time in the ongoing tour of West Indies the all-rounder admitted that he is feeling at home.

"Some of the West Indian supporters say that they see me as one of their own. They sort of go out of their way to say g'day to me. I had one lady say to me that she wants to see me get runs and Australia lose the Test match," Symonds was quoted as saying by The Age Saturday.

Symonds, whose biological parents were of Caribbean descent, has been a hit among the locals in the West Indies.

"They seem to have embraced me for some reason. I'd say it's purely just the way I look rather than the way I talk and act, but they're very friendly to me. I do have a West Indian heritage of some description. I haven't traced it, so I can't really shed any light on it," he added.

Symonds has certainly blossomed as a Test cricketer of late after a lean start to his career. With his twin knocks of 70 not out and 79 in the first Test against the West Indies, he is in good form.

"Punter (captain Ricky Ponting) said that's the best he's seen me bat in Test cricket," Symonds said.

"I feel like a Test cricketer now - I haven't got as much pressure on myself to want instant success," he said.