THE West Indies engage Zimbabwe in the second 2010 Digicel limited overs series at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, today and certainly, the question that may be lingering in the minds of cricket fans not only in Guyana but around the Caribbean is: ‘What to expect’ from their team.
First was the shocking 26-run defeat in the one-off Twenty20 in Trinidad and Tobago, followed by the two-run humiliating loss on Thursday in the first one-day international at the same venue for today’s game.
On a pitch that was conducive for batting, unlike the one used for the T20, the West Indies, who were asked to get 255 to go one up in the series, were held to 252-9 from their 50 overs by a team whose bowlers concentrated on a line and length to the lower order batsmen, which indicated they did their homework.
At the press conference after the match, Windies skipper Chris Gayle expressed his disappointment at three of his key players in vice-captain Dinesh Ramdin and all-rounders Dwayne Smith and Kieron Pollard and why not, taking into consideration, Smith’s inability to get the ball off the square.
“I’m very disappointed in those two guys (Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Smith) and Ramdin in the way they got out because those guys were actually the key for us to seal the game and the way they went about it was very disappointing and it was sad to see how they got out.
“It can be a mental thing, but it’s already done, Zimbabwe are now two up on us and  then by time you check it, we could lose the series but it’s a one-off game and we have to be careful so we still have four games to go so we have to look back at this,” Gayle noted.
Gayle described his lower order’s batting performance as rubbish, but even rubbish when piled up, take a while to get cleared up, which is definitely the opposite to the West Indies, whose lower order batsmen always seem to be in a rush to give their wickets to the opposing bowlers, irrespective of the line and length.
How could Smith, who was playing in his 77th one-day international on Thursday, find it difficult to get the ball into the gaps even for a single with four runs needed from three balls, when Nikita Miller, who is no rabbit with the bat, had taken 11 off the first three balls, including a six off the first delivery of an over which saw the West Indies needing 15 to win?
That alone is pathetic for a batsman who, having been relieved of his county contract, was re-signed following his inclusion in the Windies team for their return tour to Australia where they engaged the home team in five one-day internationals and two T20 matches respectively.
Then there is Pollard whose shot selection for a batsman that drew a high price at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction leaves much to be desired.
The 22-year-old Trinidad and Tobago batsman had Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who turned on the heat as his innings progressed, as his partner at the other end, and if he was finding it difficult to get the ball away, his next option was to pick up the singles, ensuring Chanderpaul gets the strike.
As one fan was heard saying after the disheartening loss to the Zimbabweans, ‘CGX can use the services of the team here in Guyana, they know how to dig holes perfectly.”
They will be looking to nullify Thursday’s result where defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory, but in order to do so, the right combination would be needed to unlock the spell that has been cast on them.
Gayle and his debutant opening partner Adrian Barath give their team a solid start, putting on 99 runs for the first wicket, while Chanderpaul, who started cautiously as he always does, accelerated to score a run a ball 70.
Andre Fletcher and Narsingh Deonarine were run-out, while Pollard, Ramdin and Smith needs to put up their hand and make amends for their irresponsible batting display on Thursday, but while Ramdin is certain of donning the maroon uniform today, one cannot say the same for Pollard and Smith.
There are two all-rounders in Darren Sammy and David Bernard Jr waiting in the squad who are both worthy customers with the bat and one of them would have certainly found it possible to get Chanderpaul, the more senior partner, back on strike.
The bowling lived up to the expectations of Gayle, even though Tatenda Taibu and Vusimuzi Sibanda added an even 100 for the second wicket, as they restricted their opponents under 275 on a wicket that was conducive enough for batting.
All that aside, the team still suffered a humiliating defeat and how they rebound today after a practice session at the Demerara Cricket Club ground yesterday is left to be seen.
So what can we expect, either a convincing win or another defeat, either way, it’s the West Indies who are playing, so let’s rally around them.