At Southampton, we got a chance to see the West Indies as a more evolved team. Their batting did not have much experience but their middleorder batted brilliantly to silence their critics. The West Indian bowling department performed as a unit and shattered the foundations of the English line up. At the same time, it is also true that England took the West Indies too lightly.
The impact of the start of international cricket after a long time was visible on the player’s performances. They did not appear in rhythm on several occasions during the match. Also, Covid-related fears and uncertainties could be seen among players. But I am sure they will get over it soon.
The performances of captain Jason Holder, fast bowler Shannon Gabriel and batsman Jermaine Blackwood of West Indies was a colossal blow to England. While Holder came up with a career-best bowling in the first innings, Gabriel bowled well in both the innings. Gabriel’s bowling proved to be valuable to the West Indian side. As a result, West Indies got a decent lead in first innings and England was pushed to the back-foot at the start of the match. At the same time, superb knock by Blackwood also cannot be ignored. He batted brilliantly in both the innings. Especially in the second inning, he batted brilliantly in the middle overs to ensure that England could not take advantage of the situation.
To judge between the spectacular performances of Holder, Gabriel, and Blackwood, the Man of the Match award became a tough decision. However, it was awarded to Gabriel. Though a wise decision, it was harsh on Blackwood who performed superbly in both the innings.
There were some moments during the match when England made a tremendous comeback. On one occasion, a 98-run partnership between Crawley and Stokes and on another occasion, the early dismissal of the top three Caribbean batsmen were moments when England was looking strong. But WI kept calm to make a comeback.
Ben Stoke decided to bat first on the fresh wicket, while the visiting bowlers taking advantage of the opportunity, put England under pressure with their brilliant performance. From making match strategy to field placements, one hopes he learns from this match. Joe Root is about to return in the next match. This will strengthen England’s batting line up and captaincy. There can be a lot of change in the team after his return. Second, not playing in the previous match, Stuart Broad and Joe Root will strengthen their positions in the remaining Tests. In this match, Anderson could not bowl to his potential. Broad’s bowling would make the match more exciting. The England team will now try to win both the remaining matches with more preparation and seriousness.
The West Indian team too played without some of its big players like Andre Russell, Gayle, Bravo, Hatmyer and Sunil Narine. In bowling, a trio of Gabriel, Holder and Kemar Roach empowers the team. The need is to consistently perform well. There is no doubt that the morale of the West Indies team is very high. If the Caribbean team continues to perform like this and maintains the same selfconfidence, then I am confident that it will not only seize the series in England for the first time since 1988 but also return to the old glory.
The writer is a coach of Virat Kohli and a Dronacharya award winner.
