From left, Gayle and Dravid
Tony Becca, Contributing Editor
THE DIGICEL one-day series between the West Indies and India con-tinues at Sabina Park today and after the exciting, nail-biting second-to-last ball finish to the first match, cricket fans are looking forward to another thrilling encounter with most of them, the West Indian section of them, hoping for a different result.
On Thursday, in a match that was nicely balanced at every stage up to Mohammed Kaif's exquisite front-foot drive through extra-cover off the fifth delivery of the final over bowled by Dwayne Bravo, India, chasing a victory target of 252 off 45 overs, won with one ball to spare to take a one-nil lead in the five-match contest.
Victory for the West Indies today would, therefore, level the count at one-all and despite the fact they are near the foot of the ladder at number eight in the LG ICC Rankings and India are close to the top at number three. After entering the first match bubbling with confidence, after getting so close on Thursday, they must be or should be still full of confidence and rearing to go.
FORMIDABLE
To win today's match against a team as formidable as India, however, to defeat a team that includes batsmen like Rahul Dravid - the captain who set up his team's victory with a magnificent, stroke-filled 105 on Thursday, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif, Suresh Raina, all-rounder Ajit Agarkar and the hard-hitting wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni, pace bowlers like Rudra Pratap Singh, Munaf Patel and Agarkar plus a spin bowler the quality of offspinner Harbhajan Singh, the West Indies will have to come good.
Unlike Thursday when, despite his general aggressiveness, Chris Gayle went to sleep as he headed towards his century and when the lower order failed to step up the pace in the final five overs, the West Indies, for example, will have to look for every run from the start to the end of their innings - and particularly so if they bat first.
On top of that, and particularly with a bowling attack that is just about average, the West Indies will not only have to take their catches, they will also have to improve their ground fielding in order to save some runs.
On Thursday the fielding - on the ground and in the air - of the West Indies in comparison to India, was like chalk to cheese.
Can the West Indies defeat India and level the series?
INCONSISTENT BOWLING
With their bowling so inconsistent, with their fielding also so inconsistent, once again it will all depend, more than likely, on their batsmen - on Gayle, Runako Morton, Ramnaresh Sarwan, captain Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chander-paul, Marlon Samuels or Dwayne Smith, Bravo and wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jr.
For the West Indies batsmen to win the game, however, not one but two or three of them will have to fire, and with seven of them, plus Baugh, in the line-up, that cannot be asking too much, especially so on the Sabina Park pitch.
Once he continues to bat at number five, it would also be in the team's best interest if Chanderpaul changes gear a little quicker.
Who will be the winners this time around?
Once again India start as favourites. As the West Indies demonstrated on Thursday, however, they are good enough to win and don't be surprisedß, if they do, and more comfortably at that.
