Tony BeccaTHE first Test match of the 2001 Cable and Wireless Series is over, and although they failed to win it, the West Indies, under new captain Carl Hooper, should be quite pleased with their performance.
Coming off a losing streak of seven matches in a row - the last two In England and all five in Australia, it was good that the West Indies did not lose again - even though they are playing at home.
The West Indies, it should be remembered, have always done well at home. In between their recent poor performances away have been some lovely ones at home - including those of 1998 and 1999.
In 1998, after losing all three matches in Pakistan, the West Indies defeated England; and in 1999, after losing all five matches in South Africa, the West Indies, after losing the first Test to Australia, won the second and the third and scared the daylights out of the world champions who won the fourth and final one to share the series.
This time, the West Indies, coming out of another disappointing away performance, have started with a draw, and although it is not a victory as it was in 1998, it is not a defeat, and who to tell, they may go on to great things.
What was really pleasing about the West Indies performance, however, was not the draw, and remembering all the talk about the team spirit and the new day when Brian Lara took over the captaincy from Courtney Walsh in 1998 and when James Adams took over from Lara last year, it was not what again is being described as the wonderful team spirit injected by the new captain and the dawning of a new day.
Hooper did well as the captain - no doubt about that; and he batted brilliantly - especially in the first innings. What was really pleasing, however, was the performance of the young batsmen and right-arm legspinner Dinanath Ramnarine.
Christopher Gayle, age 21, Marlon Samuels, 20, and Ramnaresh Sarwan, 20, rose to the occasion with Gayle, batting at number two and scoring 81 and 44, smashing the ball with awesome power, Samuels, batting at number three and scoring 40 and 51, holding the innings together and reeling off some splendid strokes, and Sarwan, batting at number five and scoring seven and 91 run out, stroking the ball sweetly in a second innings gem.
In a total contrast to the blocking and plodding, the indecisive approach that crippled the West Indies in Australia, it was batting the West Indian way, and although he scored only 13 and 14, the 24-year-old Wavell Hinds also made his contribution while opening with Gayle.
With Gayle and Hinds on the go, and then Gayle and Samuels, the first session on the first day was memorable as the West Indies hopped to 101 for one at lunch; and with Sarwan and Hooper on the go, the final session on the fourth day was also memorable as the Windies nailed Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock and company for 115 runs.
Ramnarine took only four wickets, but his figures - three for 105 off 41 overs and one for 46 off 27.3 - were good. What were really impressive, however, was his control, the degree of spin, his ability to push the ball, through the air, into the right-hander and then cut it away from them, and his command of the googly.
The promise is that some where, some time during this series, Ramnarine will enjoy some good figures. He could be the key to the West Indies dismissing South Africa twice.
Should the West Indies have declared earlier in a bid for victory? Maybe they should have, but although an early wicket or two could have made it interesting, the Bourda pitch had to be taken into consideration, it played better during the last two days than it did during the previous three, judging by their batting in the second innings, South Africa would have had a chance, and a captain can hardly be expected to give the opposition a shot at victory in the opening match of a series.
So far, so good. Next stop, Queen's Park Oval tomorrow.
