Work to be done for Windies

Work to be done for Windies

By Donna Symmonds Caribbean cricket broadcaster

When a team gets bowled out inside the first day and scores just 237, they know it will take something rather special to retrieve the situation.

This is especially so if the opposition is the best in the world.

The home side's bowling was certainly not spectacular and though some of the second innings batting was good, there was not enough of it nor for the length of time to give West Indies any tactical options.

The Windies might have got closer to Australia with four batsmen at the crease

The positives for the Windies were obviously the 69-ball hundred by Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the bowling of Vasbert Drakes and the batting of Devon Smith, Darren Ganga and Captain Brian Lara.

Of greater significance was that the basis of the good second-innings score was not due to Lara alone.

The Caribbean side may also rue some of the officiating, it must be said, and injuries to key players Chanderpaul and Ridley Jacobs in the first innings.

So what went wrong?

At the end of the game, Lara indicated he felt his team had competed.

The problem was that it did so for only four and a half of the eleven sessions played.

The difference in overall sustained intensity and focus was stark in all areas of the game as was the lack of variety and control in the bowling.

Can anything be done? Are the Aussies simply too good?

The concern about variety in the bowling can be addressed and debates rage on as to whether the best side is being chosen.

Is the first-Test attack capable of bowling Australia out twice, even outside of Bourda? Why aren't more of those bowlers who performed well in the just completed regional first class competition being used?

Two additions have been made to the 13-man squad.

Ramneresh Sarwan, the newly appointed vice-captain, has been included in the second-Test squad and a spot in the first XI would be a bonus.

The uncapped Anguillan off-spinner Omari Banks is the other.

Ridley Jacobs has been named in the provisional 15 named for the test but his fitness is to be determined.

The conspicuous omission is that of Chris Gayle, whom the West Indies Cricket Board declared eligible for selection.

With four Tests in the series, to go 2-0 down in Trinidad & Tobago would mean that the Frank Worrell Trophy remains in Australia.

To keep the series alive, West Indies cannot merely tussle with the visitors for part of the time but must better them most of the time.

This team must believe they can do so - even if only their die-hard fans may think it as well.