With the one-day series wrapped up in a most impressive manner the West Indians under Brian Lara will now be looking to improve on their Test record by winning the Test series too. In recent times the West Indies have struggled to save a Test leave alone winning it and so it does look like a huge task for them. But confidence can work wonders and with the morale-boosting win in the one-day series the West Indians are certainly high on confidence at the moment. More than the win, it was the consistency shown by the West Indies that does suggest a turnaround in the attitude and approach and it is here that they have been let down in the Tests. For example, batsmen who have got runs in the first innings or in the previous Test are not too bothered about repeating the performances, but have batted rather carelessly opening up the chances for the opposition. What the one-day series showed was the consistent approach of players like Gayle and Sarwan and if the West Indies can win without a major contribution from their skipper then they are certainly playing good cricket.
It’s the bowling that has been the big disappointment for gone are the days when the West Indians could produce fast bowlers by the dozen. Today apart from Fidel Edwards, there is nobody who can bowl at more than 90 mph and make the batsmen hurry their shots. Of course the restriction on the bouncers has definitely cramped the West Indians but none of them have got the art of bowling the rib-ticklers that are short but not bouncers and yet get the batmen hopping.
India will take heart from the return of Anil Kumble and VVS Laxman to the Test side. In the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, Laxman’s experience will come in handy and Kumble is one of the fiercest competitors in the game and does not concede an inch whether bowling, batting or fielding. Experience was the missing factor in the one-day side but the Test side is fortified with the return of Kumble. It will be interesting to see if India will open with Wasim Jaffer for he has hardly played any cricket since the last Test against England in Bombay in March as he underwent a knee surgery. With modern tours being cramped together with no warm up games it means Jaffer will go in cold in the Test match.
It will work to his advantage since he was not part of the losing one-day side but lack of good match practice is never the best way to enter a big game.
Kaif’s form in the one-dayers may well mean that he will play in the Tests and that would mean Jaffer dropped and Dravid opening the batting with Sehwag who has found some touch. In any case Sehwag has looked far happier in Tests than in one-dayers lately and with his penchant for big hundreds and the West Indies attack pedestrian, Veru could well make a come back to the booming times again. Yuvraj has batted quite splendidly in the one-dayers and looks good to cement a place in the Test side.
It is essential for the Indians to have Brian Lara come in early to bat for he has a tendency to feel for deliveries just around the off-stump and it is here that Pathan can strike if the ball is still new and moving.
The West Indians pitches have slowed down so much that Lara has had to make a public appeal for more sporting pitches for his fast bowlers. India will most likely go in the Test match with three seamers so they won’t mind if the pitches have some life in them. If not there is always the reliable Kumble and the ‘hungry for wickets’ Harbhajan Singh to tilt it India’s way.
