In just under three innings so far, in the ongoing India versus West Indies Test series in the Caribbean, Jasprit Jasbirsingh Bumrah has bowled 35.1 overs and has taken 12 wickets. The third innings has not been completed while one writes this and one will not be surprised if the tally of the Gujarat seamer inflates with one more innings to go.
There was a time, many years ago, when the West Indies would never have asked the opposition to bat first after winning the toss. Through the 70s, 80s and a bit of the 90s the Windies had the firepower that would decimate any batting line up on any pitch, regardless of the conditions. To watch them put India in to bat in the current Test match at Sabina Park on what looks like an up and down pitch goes to show the lack of confidence Jason Holder has in his batsmen.
Just as one thought the Windies were on their way to getting back to their old formidable ways, giving in to the opposition right at the beginning of the match is not kosher. Especially after they had beaten a strong English team in a Test series not too long ago. For the last decade or so, the once mighty Caribbean team that made opponents dance to the beat of their own Calypso tunes is struggling. Their vibe today is more lamenting Soul than vibrant Reggae.
If one takes a look at the statistics of their current batting line up, the best (if one can call him that) batsmen in the side is Darren Bravo whose Test average is 37.81. Compare that with the average of Virat Kohli (57.61) or that of Steve Smith who came back to maintain a rate of 55.93, one can see how badly the home team is struggling with the bat.
The way our generation of cricketers were brought up at various levels of the game that we played, putting the opposition in to bat was considered a complete surrender unless the pitch was really bad. While one would love romanticising about how strong the Windies line up was at one point in time, the facts before us, from match to match, show the real picture.
One can put the ‘downfall’ on the door of the shorter formats of the game that most batsmen from the islands prefer and excel in or their inability to play the red ball as compared to the white one. The fact remains that they look like an average club side as far as their batting is concerned while their bowlers put in a great effort each time they step out on the ground.
From an Indian perspective, happy days are back again. The pace trio of Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami have become ‘batsmen eaters’. They have tasted blood and are a huge force to reckon with when it comes to the longest format of the game. With the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test Championship on, India looks to be a top contender to play the Final at Lord’s two years from now.
For the team to leave out two class acts like Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin and still look a balanced side augurs well for the health of Indian cricket.
To me, the highlight of India’s first innings in the second Test was the approach of Ishant Sharma with the bat. For someone who averages 7.87 in 91 Test matches, his effort of 57 runs in 80 balls was a revelation. When Ishant and Vihari reached their century partnership, their individual share was fifty-fifty. A far cry from the days when the lowest order ‘gave company’ to established batsmen. His innings was controlled, well paced and would have made a top order batsman proud. These small signs indicate how the team is preparing under the guidance of team coach Ravi Shastri and his support staff. Sadly, the services of Sanjay Bangar (the batting coach) will be discontinued post this series. I for one, would attribute the change in the attitude of someone like Ishant, while batting, to the efforts of Bangar.
One cannot predict the outcome of any Test match, as was rubbed in by the mercurial Ben Stokes last week, but it does look like India will bag the valuable points in the World Test Championship at Jamaica. Onwards to their next home series against a new look South Africa. Will India continue to see ‘Boom Boom’ times?
