This is my analysis of the India against West Indies Test review. A century against West Indies, does not matter whether it is on debut, does it really count? Taking 5 wickets in an innings or 10 wickets in a game against West Indies, does it really count? Let us face it. West Indies are not a strong force any longer. Leave alone strong force, they are not even a force any longer. This is a hard pill to swallow but facts must be spoken. There are only 2 teams in this world that still loses to West Indies. One is England and the other is Pakistan. I only meant the major nations. They reached an absolute nadir with the exit during the ODI World Cup qualifying games. India winning the First Test and so convincingly is along the expected lines.
I am not degrading the fine performances of either Yashasvi Jaiswal or that of Ashwin. That will have their own places in the annals of the game. However, both of them, especially Ashwin, will tell us that if only he had played the WTC Finals and performed similarly, that will be much more satisfying.
India batted and batted and batted for a good part of the game. They took more than 150 overs and yet lost just 5 wickets. India took close to 2 days for half of their innings. Yet, the game was finished in 3 days. What will rankle the West Indian supporters is the fact that the team showed absolutely zero fight. Already, their supporters are angry because for the first time since ODI World Cup was started, West Indies will not be a part of the event. The Caribbean is on the boil with calls for replacing the president, board members, selectors, coach and players.
The indifference of the locals
West Indies as I can recollect, has been on the boil for more than 20 years. The pay is quite less when compared to the players from other nations. As a result, the youngsters are moving onto other sports or other sources of income. Cricket is treated as an afterthought. Usain Bolt, the incredible sprinter, is from Jamaica. West Indies have a local hero whom they are willing to emulate. To the contrary, post the retirement of Brian Lara, the last recognised bonafide great from the region, the young West Indians do not really have an icon to look upto.
Anyway, coming onto the game itself
India was always expected to win the series 2-0. We have been winning in the West Indies consistently over the last 15 years starting with Rahul Dravid’s fabulous twin 50s. Anything less than that, even a drawn game, is considered poor performance. This is not because India is an excellent side but because West Indies is that poor.
Rohit Sharma’s laborious hundred
How he must have wished that this ton had come up in the WTC Finals which would have served a far bigger purpose. The moment the initial new-ball burst was overcome, it was just a question of time for both Rohit and Jaiswal to notch up their hundreds. The pitch did not have any bite for the fast bowlers though the spinners had some support. West Indies do not possess excellent spinners to trouble the Indians. All this hundred did was increase his average. There is nothing more to this hundred.
The middle order is still a problem
If a batsman is not going to score runs on such pitches against such a bowling attack, what hope do they have against excellent attacks on a much more bowling-friendly surface? This is the question that must be asked of Shubman Gill, Rahane and Kohli. Agreed, Kohli got a 70-odd but is that enough to eradicate 4 long years of non-performance? Kohli is expected to score atleast one 100 in this series. If he doesn’t, it is probably time to thank him for his services because there is no guarantee that his performance will be better in the next series in South Africa.
As for Rahane, he is back to what he does best. Score in one game and rest on that for several. Why was he plucked from obscurity is beyond me. His days as an international cricketer were long gone. He can say that he still has a lot of games left in him but for even a casual watcher, it is clear that he is already well past his sell-by date.
Gill continues to frustrate. How many chances will he squander? His inconsistency for someone so gifted is baffling. After 17 Tests, in varied environments, he is averaging just above 30. These are early days but he is too good a player to miss out on so many opportunities. In an effort to make himself a solid T20 cricketer, he is probably losing his touch in Test cricket.
Wrapping up India against West Indies Test Review
India must win the series 2-0. Nothing less is expected.