Sunny days are back for West Indies?

For the Caribbean greats, watching the West Indian teams cave in time after time must be a gut-wrenching experience.

May 08, 2015 03:05 pm | Updated 06:57 pm IST

For the Caribbean greats, watching the West Indian teams cave in time after time must be a gut-wrenching experience.

This time, though, it was different.

Even as Clive Lloyd, the skipper of the iconic all-conquering team, and Joel Garner, a mean head-hunter from the feared pace quartet, followed a decisive day of the final Test at the Kensington Oval against the more fancied England, the West Indian supporters could have feared the worst.

The West Indies, against the odds, pulled it off. For a side rocked by disputes over payments and contracts, losing talent to the cash-rich Indian Premier League, and searching for belief and answers, the series-levelling victory was like oxygen.

Think of West Indian cricket and several images flood the mind; of free-spirited batsmen who tore into the bowling with strokes of power, of menacing fast bowlers who blew away line-ups and a bunch of players who entertained …and still won.

It was not about money. It was a lot about pride, a precious attribute that separated a cricketer from a mercenary.

But then, the seemingly non-ending sequence of setbacks, shocking batting collapses, bowling bereft of control, and a tendency to implode created a sea of cynics who simply lost faith in West Indian cricket. Will the five-wicket win in Bridgetown, a significant result for a beleaguered side at a former bastion, mark a turning point for West Indies team?

The most enriching cricketing experience of the last few weeks has been following the England-West Indies Test series on television. The contests, between two sides with shortcomings, had intensity and tension.

There were positives for the West Indies from the series. The 23-year-old Jermaine Blackwood has footwork and flair, holds his nerve in stressful situations. When he flashes the ball through the off-side or whips it past mid-wicket, this middle-order batsman brings back memories of a long list of dashing West Indian batsmen.

Blackwood averages a laudable 50.36 after eight Tests. Stiffer tests await this West Indian but he has possibilities.

The talented Darren Bravo, finally, took the responsibility of being the No. 3 batsman in the successful chase on Sunday; soaking in the pressure, pacing his innings and constantly conversing with Blackwood in that clinching partnership.

Kraigg Brathwaite is an opener with composure and steadfastness; he comprehends his game, plays within limitations and possesses innings-building skills.

The young Shai Hope at the top of the order appears a fine prospect with his straight blade and back-foot punches through covers.

Ambrose influence And the West Indies, with the formidable Curtly Ambrose guiding its seamers, finally appears to be zeroing in on a pace attack that can hurt.

The skiddy Jerome Taylor bowled with speed and incision, the big and strong Shannon Gabriel hit the bat hard and the lanky Jason Holder impressed with his consistency and bounce. If Kemar Roach regains fitness and rediscovers pace, the West Indies will have a pace attack with some venom.

These paceman cannot have a better role model than Ambrose. Precision is the key.

Perhaps nothing reflected the West Indies spirit better than Holder’s match-saving unbeaten 103 in the first Test at Antigua. As England closed in for the kill, he was brave and defiant.

Thrown into the deep end as ODI captain after West Indies’ sensational withdrawal midway through the tour of India, Holder has shown the heart for the job even he did not quite deliver the results.

Of course, the West Indies has problems. Old soldier Shivnarine Chanderpaul is finally fading away, leaving a hole in the middle-order. The side would want greater consistency from Marlon Samuels. Denesh Ramdin still has to convince many as Test captain.

Yet, this troubled side could be in for better times.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.