While India took the lead in the five-match ODIs series with a narrow one wicket win in the closely-fought encounter in the first match contested at the Barabati Stadium, Cuttack yesterday, West Indies definitely need to strengthen their team to be much more competitive in the remaining matches.
In the low-scoring affair played out before a capacity 50 000-odd crowd in Orissa, the batting performances from players both sides left much to be desired. Only rising star Darren Bravo produced something substantial while India had to depend on fringe players Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadega to save their embarrassment as the reigning ICC World Cup champions.
Although India rested legendary Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and triumphant World Cup skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the first three ODIs, their other World Cup heroes Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina failed miserably in their quest to overhaul West Indies meagre 211 for 9 off their allotted 50 overs.
Sehwag and Parthiv Patel provided the hosts with a rousing start and punished Kemar Roach and leg-spinner Anthony Martin as they notched up 37 off the first four overs. But Patel gifted his wicket when he chopped a wide delivery from Roach to the right of gully fielder Martin who gleefully accepted the offer.
While it appeared that India were in cruise control and would register a comfortable victory without the established stars, Roach produced two real beauties to dismiss Gambhir (4r, 3b, 1×4) and Kohli (3r, 4b) in quick succession at 41 (4.4 overs) and 47 (6.3 overs).
Gambhir had nonchalantly essayed the uppercut steer for four off a lifting delivery from Roach but the West Indian quickie gained revenge by bowling closer to the bodyline which prompted the left-hander to attempt another cut shot only this time that the delivery was faster and bounced a higher for comfort and took the leading edge to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin who did the honours to provide Roach with his second wicket.
In his next over, Roach produced a gem of an inswinging delivery that knocked Kohli’s stumps even before he regained his balance as he pushed forward. That type of dismissals creates anxiety in the opposition while they instil confidence in the player’s own teammates.
Andre Russell, had replaced Martin who was unpenetrative and gave away 20 runs in his first two overs, and the Jamaican all-rounder also imitated Roach with a similar inswinger and stunned Sehwag (20 runs, 29 balls, 3x4s) as he castled the stumps and left India in a quandary at 51 for 4.
Sehwag looked in ominous form and was pleasantly surprised with Russell’s pace off the track. Seven runs later Russell induced a forceful front foot shot from left-handed Raina (5 runs, 7 balls) who drove straight to Darren Bravo at widish mid-off position.
WI skipper Darren Sammy’s gentle medium pace offerings allowed Rohit Sharma and Jadega to change the tempo of the match with strategic placements and quick running between the wickets. Together they restored hope that the Indians can rally to victory with a crucial 83-run sixth-wicket partnership that was broken by Kieron Pollard who got Jadega to slap a widish delivery to Lendl Simmons at gully.
But it was abundantly clear that Sammy is the weakest link in the West Indies team. He is incapable of fulfilling the defensive role and is also unable to change his style to be more penetrative as a Ravi Rampaul would have been had he played in the match.
It was Rampaul who was the bowling hero against India in the ICC World Cup first round match when he dismissed Sachin Tendulkar and finished with five wickets against the eventual champions. The right-arm speedster must be included in the starting eleven in place of Sammy who does not command a place in the current set-up.
How come Sammy was unable to bowl in the Third Test but is now fit to bowl in the ODIs. An injured Devendra Bishoo was forced to bowl despite all the pain and suffering he sustained during India’s second innings in the match at the Wankhede Stadium which ended in a thrilling draw.
It wasn’t surprising that India’s number ten Varun Aaron and number eleven Umesh Yadav smashed the West Indies captain for boundaries and allowed the Indians to celebrate success and maintain their winning streak for the last ten matches at home. Sammy’s contribution with the bat has been negligible. In this match, he faced eight deliveries for a big fat duck. His scores have been almost single digits on the tour to Bangladesh and India.
A closer look at his statistical returns will reveal a dismal picture and it is unfathomable how the WICB officials and especially the selectors, more so the tour selectors, can continue with Sammy at the helm. The tour selectors might feel that they do not have the gumption to do what is right for the betterment of West Indies cricket because Sammy was appointed captain for the series.
But we have had situations before when the captains dropped himself from the starting line-up to allow someone who is better suited and in-form to make a significant contribution to the team’s welfare on the field. Maybe Sammy cannot come to terms with his limited or disappointing returns that have affected the team’s overall chances of success.
Sammy scored a single and took one wicket for 30 runs in the First ODIs versus Bangladesh at Dhaka (October 11, 2011) then followed up with two runs and 0 for 12 in the Second ODIs. In the First Test vs Bangladesh at Chittagong, he had figures of 1 for 53 and 1 for 9 plus 58 runs in the drawn match while he had 0 for 32 and 2 for 19 plus one (1) run in the Second Test at Dhaka.
Against India; Sammy continued his woeful form with the bat although he picked some useful wickets. In the First Test at Feroz Shah Kotla; he made 5 and 42 and took 3-35 and 2-56. It was worst in the Second Test at Eden Gardens with 2 for 132 plus 18 and 32. West Indies lost both Tests by big margins.
And then to compound matters, Sammy scored 3 and 10 while he claimed 2 for 90 in the Third Test at Wankhede Stadium where the match ended in a draw while he was unable to support Rampaul, Fidel Edwards, Marlon Samuels and the injured Bishoo.
With the duck in the First ODIs versus India, Sammy has compiled a miserly 172 runs in 11 innings for an average of 15.60 while he has claimed 15 wickets for 478 runs.
For the records, Sammy’s WI team was the first team to be knocked out of the 2011 ICC World Cup. Even the minnows like Ireland and Netherlands performed beyond expectations and created major surprises against highly-rated established teams while West Indies made a disappointing early exit.
Ramdin has proved himself as a quality leader and he led the team to success in the First ODIs versus Bangladesh. Twice he has captained the West Indies senior team and but times they won. He has a 100 percent record. He was also the stand-in captain for Trinidad and Tobago when they won the 2011 Caribbean T20 finals at the Kensington Oval, Barbados. For Sammy, it is fourteen defeats, nine victories in 24 matches. Ramdin should be allowed to lead the team while the bowling department will have greater potency and players with the ability to bowl out the opposition.
Martin’s leg-spin bowling did not trouble any of  the Indian batsmen although he had Sharma bowled off his pads attempting a flick towards the leg-side, his style and lack of variations would not allow him to provide meaningful support for the other bowlers.
What is the use of the West Indies Cricket Board staging tournament at considerable cost and when players are successful, they are still not given the opportunity to play and prove themselves at the highest level? At the recent WICB Super50 successfully staged by the Guyana Cricket Board in Guyana, it was Trinidad and Tobago’s Sunil Narine who mesmerised all their opponen
ts and emerged as the tournament’s leading bowlers.
Martin also played but was less successful. Yet he is the preferred choice in India while Narine, who also impressed during the Champions League T20 in India, was a spectator beyond the boundary line. The Trinidadian off-spinner provides variety and his style suits the slower pitches in India. He made a big impact in the CL and continued in the WICB Super 50. Narine and even Bishoo who was overlooked by the selectors would be better choices than Martin.