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Consistency the key for India Wisden CricInfo staff - May 1, 2002
Now that they have arrived in Barbados, India will be reminded time and again of 1997, when, chasing a target of 120, they slumped to a loss so excruciating that Sachin Tendulkar - then the captain - was said to be in tears. But this time India are coming off a fine and famous victory, and they really shouldn't be carrying any albatrosses. If they must look into the past, they'd be better off thinking about the past fortnight. There will be the usual talk of guarding against complacency. This is all very well, but what India really need to watch for is inconsistency. Currently, and uncommonly, they're a team whose parts add up to the whole: sustaining this will be the challenge.
Unofficially, India's XI has already been selected, and there will be just one change to the team that won at Port-of-Spain. With 62 to his name against the Busta XI on Sunday, Wasim Jaffer will almost certainly reclaim the position at the top of the order that he briefly flirted with against South Africa two years ago. Sanjay Bangar will make way for him, and with three seamers in the team, his bowling is not likely to be missed.
Of course, three seamers means one spinner, and Anil Kumble's innocuous performance in the tour game at St Lucia was enough to suggest that Harbhajan Singh will retain his place. Moreover, Sourav Ganguly believes that Harbhajan bowled smartly to Lara at Port-of-Spain – and could be the key for the rest of the series. Ajay Ratra, who got 0 and 1 in Trinidad, but kept fairly well, has his captain's support for another Test at least.
All of these are good calls.
West Indies, at the home of their greatest gallery of cricketers and at a venue where they have only lost three matches in almost three-quarters of a century, must be feeling the pressure. On Tuesday evening, Carl Hooper cut a soulful picture at the Kensington Oval. He came down all by himself to train amid the lengthening shadows. Hooper is a quiet man who loves practice and play, but he doesn't believe life begins or ends with a game of cricket. "There is too much emphasis on winning nowadays," he said in an informal chat.
Somehow, his team must find a cutting edge. Pedro Collins has been included in the squad to try to provide variety to an attack that has a sameness about it. He was good at St Lucia, and though Dinanath Ramnarine, the legspinner, was even better, it could well be a case of four quicks again.
Whether or not West Indies have erred by ignoring the claims of Wavell Hinds remains to be seen. Hinds made a blistering 175 at St Lucia, but for the moment, Stuart Williams and Chris Gayle retain their places. But the opening partnership is the one area that looks brittle - in three innings they have added only 21, 50 and 27. At least the batting has been strengthened by the return of Ridley Jacobs for Junior Murray.
The middle order is in good shape, though Hooper and Lara, particularly, will regret that they couldn't sail to victory on the final day at Port-of-Spain. Ramnaresh Sarwan always looks good, almost always gets a decentish score, but rarely goes on. Hooper, though, believes in him: "He is young. The problem is that the standard of domestic cricket is so low that he is usually up to 80 or so when he bats the way he has in these Tests."
The jury is still out on the pitch. Guyana was always meant for the batsmen. At Trinidad, everyone predicted a paceman's paradise. It turned to be a fine old wicket for anyone who worked hard enough. Barbados is now said to be the second-liveliest pitch in the Caribbean, after Sabina Park in Jamaica, but really, we'll just have to wait and see.
Teams (probable)
West Indies Rahul Bhattacharya is a staff writer with Wisden.com India. His reports will be appearing here throughout India's tour of the Caribbean © Wisden CricInfo Ltd |
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