Buoyed India look to seal series at Barbados (Preview)

The first test at Sabina Park did follow an expected course; India in spite of the absence of four first-choice players had it easy in the end. West Indies showed glimpses of what can be achieved by a team oozing with talent but, the whole was never greater than the sum of its parts. As a result of the 63 run win, the visitors go into the second test with a comforting 1-0 lead.

The West Indian cricket is possibly going through one of its worst phases, something that has brought into question the very existence of its basic structure where in various sovereign countries participate under one flag. Things are getting murkier with each passing day, the WICB and the players association has locked horns on numerous occasions, the Chris Gayle selection saga is unfolding like a reality show with twists and turns and star all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has gone on a ‘soul-searching’ break. The net result is that the team of eleven men currently representing West Indies is kind of a stop-gap arrangement led by a man who is more of a compromise than an obvious choice.

It is a pity that supremely talented youngsters like Devendra Bishoo, Ravi Rampaul, Adrian Barath, Lendl Simmons etc were reduced to side-shows in the otherwise uninspiring performance in first match of the three test series. The maturity young Bishoo showed while bowling at world-renowned players of spin – Rahul Dravid and Laxman was from the top drawer. A match haul of seven wickets for a leggie against India is no mean achievement. Likewise, Ravi Rampaul has been the find of this season, openers Simmons and Barath are quality players who need to be nurtured properly.

Batting is definitely an area of concern for the hosts, the collapse has become too much of a routine. From a good position, the team losses initiative as wickets fall in a heap and it has become like a trademark of the West Indies cricket. Seniors in team- Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul have been recalled precisely to prevent the sudden disintegration but the duo has failed to live up to the expectations so far. If they can’t steady the ship in crisis, people like Brendon Nash can be retained in the squad at their expense.

For India, the selection issue that had occupied lot of space in media before the tour began has been a blessing in disguise. Out of the three debutants, Praveen Kumar had best first outing in the longer version of the game. For a bowler who was branded as a pure limited overs cricketer and lacked the speed to make an impact in tests, it was a vindication of sorts as he picked up key wickets in both the innings. The running on to the ‘danger-zone’ troubles apart, Praveen was able to extract movement with the new ball and was equally effective with the old one.

However, debutants Virat Kohli and Abhinav Mukund were a bit jittery and full of nervous energy while batting. Murali Vijay was the other notable failure in the series opener; T20 approach to batting was responsible for his downfall. Now, all eyes would be on the three to make an impression and cover as much as distance before the big guns return for the England series.

Playing his 150th test, Rahul Dravid was assured as always at the crease even though the torturous pitch made life difficult for batsmen in the last match. The senior most pro in the team along with Laxman would once again form the backbone of the relatively young top-order. Gritty Suresh Raina and mercurial Harbhajan Singh come in handy when the team has lost early wickets or quick runs are needed.

Among the bowlers, Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra haven’t done too badly, so Munaf Patel may have to wait a little more before he gets a chance to showcase his skills. The Barbados pitch in expected to be low and slow, Harbhajan and co. would once again be in business.

All said and done, West Indies will have do play lot better than they did at Jamaica and win critical sessions on regular basis to pose a serious challenge, otherwise India have the series in their pocket. And, Dhoni may have already set sights on a series whitewash before his men leave the Caribbean shores.

SQUADS

West Indies: Adrian Barath, Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels, Carlton Baugh (wk), Darren Sammy (capt), Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul, Devendra Bishoo, Kemar Roach, Kirk Edwards.

India: Abhimanyu Mithun, Abhinav Mukund, Amit Mishra, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, MS Dhoni (Capt & Wk), Munaf Patel, Murali Vijay, Parthiv Patel (wk), Pragyan Ojha, Praveen Kumar, Rahul Dravid, S Badrinath, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, VVS Laxman