A sorry tale of ifs and buts

Published : Jun 08, 2002 00:00 IST

VIJAY LOKAPALLY

WHAT an irony it was! The Indians had scheduled a training session for the afternoon and it poured at the Sabina Park, sending everyone indoors. As rain drenched the West Indian fans, the Indians watched from the dressing room, beaten comprehensively by a team which played far better cricket to win the series 2-1. It was raining heavily even as the presentation ceremony came to an end.

It was rank indiscipline that marked the Indian debacle. Poor shot selection stood out so sorely in the second innings and some shabby bowling on the opening day made it a most forgettable Test for India. The team management had no words to defend the slide after having promised an improvement which was only on paper.

As luck would have it, the skies opened up a few minutes after Zaheer Khan holed out to mid-off. If only the Indians had hung in for some time; if only Sourav Ganguly, V. V. S. Laxman, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer had not played reckless shots; if only... It was a matter of a few more overs and a few more minutes. Rain was around the corner but the Indians were in such a hurry.

Reflecting on the loss in Bridgetown and Kingston, the Indian skipper Ganguly observed, "We didn't bat well on a good track at Barbados and we didn't bowl well after winning the toss here. If we had just survived the first 10 overs in Barbados or if we had a few wickets here, it would have been a different story. I expected a lot of movement on the first day. However, there was some bounce and that wasn't enough."

It was, as usual, a story of ifs and buts as India failed to win a Test series outside the sub-continent in 16 years. The decline started in Bridgetown, Barbados, when India was packed off in 34 overs. The Indians just faded away after that. The lack of self-pride was so very evident in the manner in which the Indian team allowed the opposition to dictate terms despite having better resources to dominate the series.

The West Indies played better cricket no doubt with the emphasis being on a collective effort. The manner in which Mervyn Dillon and Cameron Cuffy flung themselves around the Sabina Park was a lesson for some of the Indians, who would not even bend. It was a clear case of some of the Indian cricketers having a poor attitude towards their job and some of the West Indians realising the necessity to raise their standard to snare an opposition which looked for solutions in individual excellence.

The Indians read so much in the pitch, which was described by local experts as very different from the past. There was grass, bounce, pace and what not. So, India decided to field. Now, this was a decision, which, in hindsight, exposed the inconsistency in the Indian attack. The bowlers had to take the major blame for not putting pressure on the West Indies on the first day of the match.

On a responsive pitch, the Indian bowlers sprayed the ball and were promptly punished by the West Indians who were determined to make the most of the erratic stuff. Runs flowed smoothly and the match effectively was lost by India on the first day itself. The West Indians did not ease the pressure from that point and built on the splendid work done by Wavell Hinds, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ridley Jacobs. That Sarwan was the only right-hander also highlighted the old Indian failing against left-handers.

Having posted a formidable first innings total, the West Indies now looked up to its bowlers to capitalise on the base laid by the batsmen. The famed Indian batting line-up ended up conceding a huge first innings lead.

"We should've batted better no doubt," admitted Ganguly. The Indians were in a sorry state but there was talk of a revival. West Indies skipper Carl Hooper decided against enforcing the follow-on and the Indian bowlers were presented with the opportunity to make amends.

It was a much-improved show by the Indian bowlers in the second innings when they commanded respect with some nagging line and length. Srinath showed the way for Zaheer to bowl with fire and the West Indies collapsed, with the exception of Chanderpaul, who came up with his second fifty of the match.

"I just concentrated on staying in the middle," said the left-handed Guyanese. Chanderpaul's form was one of the main reasons for India not being able to make an impact.

Returning to the debacle, Ganguly said, "Four hundred runs is a lot in the fourth innings. We were not even looking at it. We just wanted to go out and play a normal Test innings and see how it goes from there. It just didn't work out. We must learn to perform when it matters and not when it becomes too late," he said, obviously hinting at the bowlers letting the team down on the first day.

The India skipper gave full credit to the opposition. "They played better cricket than us. They took advantage of the conditions in Barbados and Jamaica and deserved the victory. It's all in the mind. It doesn't have anything to do with seaming wickets or playing overseas. Otherwise, we wouldn't have won in Kandy or Bulawayo or in Trinidad," he noted.

"It was a team victory. We always believed in ourselves and backed ourselves. This win will go a long way in our campaign to raise a strong team," said the West Indies captain Hooper, who played an important role in the series triumph. Hooper praised the youngsters in the side and said he was pleased with the way everyone had responded to the challenge.

Ganguly defended his team. "The players are mentally strong and have the ability to win too. The only thing is they haven't delivered when it was required. Maybe a little extra effort is needed under pressure." But he agreed that his players needed to perform in difficult situations. "The key players did not perform when it mattered the most," he said.

Coach John Wright summed it up with a simple assessment. "We needed at least two centuries to win this Test. Unfortunately we did not get even one. We should not have lost so many wickets going into the final day."

The scores: West Indies 422 (Gayle 68, Hinds 113, Sarwan 65, Chanderpaul 58, Jacobs 59, Harbhajan 5-138) and 197 (Lara 35, Chanderpaul 59, Zaheer 4-79, Harbhajan 3-42) beat India 212 (Das 33, Tendulkar 41, Ganguly 36, Laxman 65, Dillon 5-71) and 252 (Dravid 30, Tendulkar 86, Ganguly 28, Collins 3-60, Sanford 3-48)

A disciplined knock

WHEN Wavell Hinds was picked to open the West Indian innings in the fourth Test at Antigua, there were apprehensions regarding his ability to succeed.

In the past, he had preferred to bat in the middle order but never ducked the responsibility thrust upon him to open the innings.

So, his comeback at Antigua was watched with interest. Among the most promising batsmen in the Caribbean, this affable Jamaican responded with a fine effort of 65 before he was bowled behind the legs by Sachin Tendulkar.

Hinds had distinctly looked uncomfortable against Tendulkar but then he had made an impressive return.

The comeback by Hinds had its roots in the three-day match at St. Lucia where he slammed a brilliant 175 against the Indians. The Indian attack included all the three spinners - Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Sarandeep Singh - but Hinds showed splendid footwork in nullifying their skills. True, the pitch favoured batsmen but Hinds made an impression by batting quite aggressively throughout.

That knock convinced the selectors that Hinds deserved a place but he was asked to open the innings since Stuart Williams had looked shaky. "I was prepared as long as I earned an opportunity to play. It was an emergency call and I just grabbed the chance," said Hinds who was initially nervous but settled down to crack his second Test century.

His knock of 113 fetched him the 'Man of the Match' award and rightly too.

On a Sabina Park pitch which was responsive to the bowlers, this stylish left-hander played an outstanding innings. It was disciplined and stood out in terms of quality.

Hinds' footwork against Harbhajan was the talking point. He repeatedly stepped out to rattle the off-spinner and as he said, "I was just trying to make the best use of the pitch. The ball was coming on nicely and the bounce was true. I enjoyed batting in front of the home crowd."

The crowd loved Hinds all the way. His celebration on reaching the century was understandable because it signalled a strong comeback to the team. The fact that he had settled into the role of an opener with fellow-Jamaican Chris Gayle augured well for the West Indies.

Hinds, 26, is considered a batsman of immense potential. And his performance at Sabina Park looks a firm step towards achieving his goal of serving the team for long. "He is a mentally strong cricketer and an asset to the team," was how the West Indies skipper Carl Hooper described Hinds.

Blessed with an amazing temperament

In 1971, Lord Relator had composed a song in tribute to Sunil Gavaskar's excellent form during his debut series. The West Indies bowlers made no impact on the Indian maestro as he dominated the attack with a series of big scores.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul may not have achieved similar heights but his domination was complete as he aggregated 562 runs in seven innings at an astounding average of 140. None had visualised this kind of success for this shy Guyanese who had also tormented the Indian bowlers the last time they visited the Caribbean in 1997. Chanderpaul was the 'Man of the Series' five years ago too, circling the Kensington Oval in the car which came as a fitting reward. This time too he drove a car which he won with his admirable consistency. More than the car, it was the honour and the contribution he made towards his team's victory in the Test series that made it a memorable occasion for Chanderpaul.

For a left-hander, he may not appear attractive to watch but his batting was the most effective and the most decisive factor in swinging the game in West Indies' favour. Blessed with an amazing temperament, Chanderpaul gave a wonderful exhibition of how to bat within limitations to achieve the best results.

Chanderpaul was content to spend long hours in the middle, toiling to get his runs through nudges and pushes. Now and then he would pick the ball to smash it but his runs came in a predictable manner. He believes in occupying the crease and grinds the attack with remarkable patience.

The Indians had no clue to get him out. Chanderpaul's confidence against the Indian attack was built on his resolve to make a place for himself and his grit guided him through troubled times. He began the series with a century at Georgetown, his first on home ground, and followed it up with scores of 1, 67 not out, 101 not out, 136 not out, 58 and 59.

"I was keen to do well in this series because I had worked hard on my game. I was always confident of getting runs because I believe in myself and have always backed myself to do well when the team needs me," said the 28-year-old Chanderpaul.

Chanderpaul's batting went a long way in supporting fellow Guyanese Carl Hooper in his endeavour to put West Indies cricket back on the rail. Lord Relator may well be tempted to compose a song in tribute to Chanderpaul who played such an inspiring role in shaping West Indies' deserving series win.

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