Among all the criticism heaped on West Indies cricket in recent years, one of the foremost has been the lack of resolve shown by their players who have appeared diffident, in contrast to the weight of the great tradition they bear. Too many times, dominating positions have been frittered away, conveying the impression that they seemingly do not care to gain ground. The hurt is magnified, given that that the West Indies is the only place outside the sub-continent where cricket is still, hopefully, much more than just a game.
That is why the win in the first Test against Pakistan should ideally be much more than just another win - it was the first in a Test in almost two years. What was more heartening to see was what led to that win. The fight shown by the lower order, where the last two wickets added in excess of 50 runs in both innings in a low-scoring game where the winning margin was 40. Above all, the fight displayed by Darren Sammy who, with a Man of the Match performance, showed that he might also have the skills to be a contributing player at Test level in addition to being a willing captain.
All of which should be celebrated much more than a win, because, in isolation, the victory itself might just prove to be a one-off considering the various ills plaguing West Indies cricket. The final game in yet another two-Test series that has promised so much will give a stronger indication if the earlier win was more than just that. If Sammy does manage to pull off another victory, he would have bought a lot of time against the doubters. Even a draw will help, but a loss will lead to increasing calls of ‘we told you so’.
To consolidate on their success in the first Test, West Indies will need to address their serious vulnerability while facing spin, especially against Saeed Ajmal. When your opener [Devon Smith] fails to last even an over against the opposition’s part-time offspinner in Tests [Mohammad Hafeez], it reflects poorly on the skillsets of those playing at the highest level. The surface at Warner Park, though, should suit West Indies much more than the vicious turner at Providence that turned survival against quality spin into a lottery, one in which the hosts didn’t enjoy much luck.
http://www.crazycricket-world.blogspot.com
That is why the win in the first Test against Pakistan should ideally be much more than just another win - it was the first in a Test in almost two years. What was more heartening to see was what led to that win. The fight shown by the lower order, where the last two wickets added in excess of 50 runs in both innings in a low-scoring game where the winning margin was 40. Above all, the fight displayed by Darren Sammy who, with a Man of the Match performance, showed that he might also have the skills to be a contributing player at Test level in addition to being a willing captain.
All of which should be celebrated much more than a win, because, in isolation, the victory itself might just prove to be a one-off considering the various ills plaguing West Indies cricket. The final game in yet another two-Test series that has promised so much will give a stronger indication if the earlier win was more than just that. If Sammy does manage to pull off another victory, he would have bought a lot of time against the doubters. Even a draw will help, but a loss will lead to increasing calls of ‘we told you so’.
To consolidate on their success in the first Test, West Indies will need to address their serious vulnerability while facing spin, especially against Saeed Ajmal. When your opener [Devon Smith] fails to last even an over against the opposition’s part-time offspinner in Tests [Mohammad Hafeez], it reflects poorly on the skillsets of those playing at the highest level. The surface at Warner Park, though, should suit West Indies much more than the vicious turner at Providence that turned survival against quality spin into a lottery, one in which the hosts didn’t enjoy much luck.
http://www.crazycricket-world.blogspot.com
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