India may have won the ODI series 4-1, but there were plenty of positives for the West Indies, not least in their much improved performances against the world’s best ODI side.
Kieron Pollard, celebrating his maiden ODI hundred here, is one player who can be part of a bright West Indian future
The series will, ultimately, be remembered for the exploits of Virender Sehwag in the fourth fixture when he blazed an almighty 219 runs. For the WIndies, however, the series may well be remembered as the time when they regained some self belief.
With the bat, there were positive performances from Kieron Pollard (in the final game), Darren Bravo and Andre Russell.
With the ball, Sunil Narine, Kemar Roach and Ravi Rampaul impressed. Their figures were skewed somewhat by the bowling abattoir put on at Indore.
They may have got it wrong at times, but this WIndies side looks ready to make sacrifices for the greater good. Take Pollard in the final fixture. Poised on 99, a single away from his maiden ODI hundred, Pollard took on the bowling in an attempt to keep his side in the game.
That Virat Kohli dropped him at long on seemed apt, allowing Pollard to reach the milestone. He was soon caught on the boundary, though, and rather than revelling in an outstanding individual performance, he was on his haunches, head over his bat, gutted that he couldn’t see his side to victory.
For all the positives, some negatives remain. The biggest cause for concern is the captain, Darren Sammy.
His form doesn’t suggest that he should be in the starting XI. He put down some crucial (and straightforward) catches – Sehwag on 171, for example, and contributed little with bat and ball.
In the five fixtures Sammy amassed 48 runs at an average of 12.00, including a 41* in game three. With the ball he claimed one wicket at 135.00 and only bowled 21.5 overs of a possible 50.
The side is a batsman light and that has to be rectified if the WIndies are to push on. Sammy cannot retain his place in the side going forward. No side can afford a passenger, especially not a side looking to kick on after years in the wilderness.
For now, though, the West Indies should rightly be focussing on the positives of their time in India. Bar game four they were competitive throughout, and could easily have won more than one game.
If those in the side continue to fight for one another, there is hope for this proud cricketing region. Hopefully the inconsistencies and in-fighting that have marked recent times are firmly a thing of the past.
By Miles Reucroft
TweetLike this article? Please like The Cricket Blog on Facebook:
I understand your view on Sammy and share your misgivings. The missing batsman you refer to might be Gayle;however his contribution to the team as a batsman is massively outweighed by his shortcomings as a squad member. Harsh perhaps, but I hold him largely responsible for the shoddy work ethic and distracted levels of commitment that characterised the West Indies in his era at the helm. Sammy might well lack the convincing figures to ensure his place in the side but he offers a work ethic and a seriousness which has helped to turn a team which has been less than the sum of its parts, into a team that is now beginning to command respect.