ILL it be a wakeup call or is that a signal that India is on its way out? The loss to West Indies is certainly nothing to be ashamed about for it was like the West Indian team of old.
The furious pace at which both Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards bowled as reminiscent of the 1970s and 80s, when the West Indian quicks had the world’s best batsmen hopping and jumping in the crease. They haven’t bowled so quick even in Test matches.
The first ball itself was a snorter which Gambhir managed to just pop up but safely and that was the signal that the West Indies were going to come at India. Indian batsmen are so used to getting on the front foot that when someone of real pace bangs the ball in short they are slow to transfer the balance on the backfoot.
They also seldom play the pull or the hook shot, which means that the short deliveries if bowled and angled well into the batsman’s rib cage will invariably be a dot ball.
Three wickets down for barely 30 on the board in the first quarter of the innings was not the start that India is used to and though Yuvraj played a wonderful counterattacking innings the overs were being consumed fast till Yusuf Pathan joined him. Pathan senior adjusted beautifully after getting rib-tickling snorters first up and he too joined in the counterattack.
It was this duo that saved India’s blushes and took them past 100 which was what the Indian dressing room would have been happy with after 10 overs were bowled. Three successive fours would have lifted the spirits up too, for whenever a non recognized batsman plays shots and get runs there is a general feeling of mirth and well being and if that happens towards the end of the innings then the team comes out to field with a spring in their step.
The Indians certainly believed that they would be able to put pressure on the West Indies but maybe they missed a trick in not giving the ball to Harbhajan straight away. The offie would have been high after his batting display and more importantly the West Indians struggle against the flighted delivery as much the Indians do against the short one. Though Gayle didn’t fire Dwayne Bravo did and took the game away from the Indians.
This means that India has to win both the remaining games and with the last being against South Africa, it appears as if their task is cut out for them. Champions are known to find ways out of tough situations and the one facing India is a real tough one indeed. The next few days should show us what the champions are made of.
