Caribbean
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West Indies: Victory brings smiles back to Caribbean faithful

Mustafa Ismail·
Test
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West Indies managed to pull off an upset against England as they clinched the three match Test series in the Caribbean…

Cricket fans in the Caribbean have found a heroic new captain – one who can bat, bowl, and field – in the form of Jason Holder. The man has brought smiles back to the faces of West Indies’ passionate supporters by leading them to one of the their most remarkable triumphs in recent years. Given how much the team has suffered due to a long-running dispute between the players and the board, it’s another step in the right direction for everyone involved.

With many unaddressed grievances, top West Indian players like Chris Gayle, DJ Bravo, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard opted to join T20 leagues around the world instead of making themselves available for the Test side. This meant that the Windies were forced build a Test team from scratch – one that has made some positive strides in the last couple of years. Even so, the series win over England can be considered its greatest accomplishment thus far.

Jason Holder has played the role of Superman in recent weeks, boasting a double hundred and some tactically astute captaincy along the way. The players have responded to his demands as each batsman applied themselves on the crease and put a price on their wicket. The way Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell batted in their first innings exemplified the team’s resolute approach.

It was late in the day and England had twenty overs to bowl on a pitch that was misbehaving. Both openers dug in and ensured they were unbeaten until the day’s end. The next morning, they capitalised on scoring opportunities without succumbing to poor shot-selection. West Indies’ middle and lower order were superb as well, giving the English bowlers a tough time. This grit and determination had been missing for quite some time and it was refreshing to see the Caribbean side rewarded for their efforts in a Test match.

When their turn came, the bowlers also bowled their heart out. Kemar Roach spearheaded the attack and was supported wonderfully by Gabriel, Holder, and Joseph. The entire line-up was particular about line and length, unsettling the English batsmen in the process. Alzarri Joseph deserves a special mention as he continued playing despite losing his mother before the start of day three – and produced a magnificent spell of seven overs, twelve runs, and two wickets. It would’ve been a noteworthy performance on any day and spoke volumes about Joseph’s dedication to his team’s cause.

England’s performance, on the other hand, was disastrous. On the back of victories against India and Sri Lanka, this wasn’t expected of them. There was plenty of conjecture about team selection and the management’s failure to pick the strongest possible XI. However, the English batsmen came out with a non-existent game plan in all four innings. None of them clinched a hundred and seemed incapable of doing so. They were either dismissed very early on or made decent starts, but nobody adequately threatened the West Indian bowling line-up.

Yes, Joe Root got two snorters in the second Test – but a lot of other batsmen, including Joe Denly, Rory Burns, and Ben Stokes played loose shots instead of leaving the ball or defending. Regardless of whether they were influenced by limited-overs cricket or underestimated the Caribbean side, England’s batsmen failed to play a proper Test innings.

On the other end, the bowlers gave it their all but weren’t as effective as the opposition – possibly because of a lack of pace and fluctuating lengths. England should’ve been much more patient with the bat and followed the example set by the West Indian batsmen. A Test match lasts five days and there’s ample time to get runs, which means restraint and composure are detrimental to the team’s success.

With just one more Test left, West Indies will be beaming with confidence and aching to pull of a whitewash. England, on the other hand, will need to pick themselves up and produce a professional performance to reinforce their status as a high-quality team.