GIVEN the serene setting of St. Lucia, the Indians would have been happier enjoying a holiday than engaging themselves in a three-day encounter ahead of a Test match. Coming as it did soon after a Test, the tour match against Busta XI was low on the priority list of the key players who mattered so much in the second Test at Port of Spain. This reflected in the performance of the team. The humiliation of following-on showed how poorly the Indians had approached this contest.
The second string of the Indian team proved such a poor combination. First, the bowlers were shown their place by the Busta XI batsmen and then the Indian batting came apart against the pace and spin of the home side which was certainly inspired. On a placid track, the Indians failed to keep their focus and suffered the embarrassment of being asked to follow-on. It was nothing but lack of self-pride since the aim of the Indians was to somehow finish the match. There was a competition to sit out the encounter.
The failure of Shiv Sundar Das may have caused concern even though the batsman may have had reasons to feel aggrieved with the decisions in both the innings. There was, however, no doubt that Das had not been able to come to terms with the pace and swing of the Busta XI attack.
The manner in which the Indians capitulated on the first day was shocking. The bowling was in tatters as Devon Smith and Wavell Hinds, both attacking left-handers, produced strokes at will and the run-flow was quite rapid. It became difficult for skipper V.V.S. Laxman to set a field as the bowlers were cut and pulled disdainfully and even Anil Kumble came in for some punishment.
There was little merit in the Indian bowling. In fact, Wavell Hinds hardly looked like he would get out as he toyed with the attack. His wide range of shots meant the Indians were sent on a leatherhunt which ended the next day only because Wavell Hinds got out to an adventurous stroke.
The Indians looked miserable in all the departments. The bowlers lacked vision and the fielders moved around in a lethargic manner. It was poor cricket no doubt. And when they batted, the Indians invited ignominy with their shocking performance.
They could play neither pace nor spin. Leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine, among the reserves in the Test at Trinidad, made an impression as he foxed the batsmen with his guiles. Deep Dasgupta looked a novice as he got out to a googly and then Laxman paid the penalty for playing back. The ball kept low, but Laxman looked clumsy in that dismissal.
Ramnarine commanded respect for his bowling even as left-armer Pedro Collins tested the Indian batsmen with some fiery stuff. He repeatedly pushed them on the backfoot even on this docile track and it was a performance which earned Collins a place in the Test team.
The Busta XI players were far more committed and certainly more motivated to make the most of this match. The Indians had decided to rest Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra for this match. It may have taken away the competitive edge to some extent, but then the Indians had no excuse for the abysmal fashion in which the batsmen caved in on the second day of the match.
On a track which saw Wavell Hinds, Smith and Ridley Jacobs clobber the Indian attack, the visiting batsmen had no clue when they went to the middle. It was one long procession as one batsman after another became a victim of complacency. But for Dinesh Mongia and Sarandeep Singh, none of the Indians had the will to apply themselves. Being asked to follow-on by a team of youngsters was not the best way to showcase your talent and the Indians came out in extremely poor light.
The batsmen had no reason to panic. It was sheer indisciplined batting and nothing was more shocking than the fact that no player seemed to make an effort to improve. Mistakes were repeated and in the end the reputation of the Indians took a beating. It hardly mattered that the match ended in a draw but what counted, and shall not be forgotten, was the humiliation of being asked to follow-on. It made little sense to say that the Indians had rested six key players.
For the home spectators, it was entertainment through Wavell Hinds and Smith. Aspirants for the opener's slot, they played positive and attacking cricket and were rewarded amply as the Indians sprayed the ball. The two batsmen made the Indian attack look so ordinary as boundaries were hit in all directions. The spinners failed to make any impression on Smith and Wavell Hinds as the batsmen stepped out and hoisted them at will. Tinu Yohannan and Sanjay Bangar had a poor match and ran out of ideas once the batsmen attacked.
The big innings by Wavell Hinds brought him back in the reckoning even as Smith reminded many of Roy Fredricks. For Jacobs, it was a crucial contest and he made use of it by knocking up a fifty which ensured that he gained a recall to the Test side.
In the end a word about the National Cricket Stadium, nestling in the hills on the north of the island. It lies in the tourist belt with plenty of hotels around and a popular 18-hole golf course adjacent to it. The Stadium is listed among the favourite venues for the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean and this modern cricket venue, with outstanding dressing room facilities, was a pleasant experience for the spectators. It was the first match involving a visiting side to the Caribbean and the crowd loved the domination of the Busta XI side. It augured well for cricket in St. Lucia.
The scores:Busta XI 437 (D. Smith 91, W. Hinds 175, R. Morton 33, R. Jacobs 55 not out, T. Yohannan three for 84) drew with Indian XI 150 (D. Mongia 67, Sarandeep Singh 32, D. Ramnarine four for 49) and 158 for two (W. Jaffer 62, D. Dasgupta 54 not out, A. Ratra 29 not out).
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