This Friday most of the eyes of the cricketing world will be focused on the commencement of the World Test Championship (WTC) Final between India and New Zealand at the Ageas Bowl, in Southampton, England. It is the first time the game of cricket will have an official World Test Champion, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) must be commended for keeping the competition going in the midst of the pandemic by taking the bold step of modifying the complex points system to create a level playing field and sustaining the interest of the absentee fans. Last December, Australia and England were also in contention for places in the final, but hats off to New Zealand and India for their positive cricket in deservedly capturing the coveted two places.
Four thousand miles away, as the crow flies, almost simultaneously, at the Darren Sammy Stadium, in St Lucia, the Second Test in the two-match series between South Africa and the West Indies will also be starting. This match will most likely provide die-hard West Indies cricket fans (not the bandwagon jumpers) with a true image of their team, at this moment in time. Is this a team on the rise? Or is this a team still stuck on the bottom rungs of the ICC Test rankings list?
West Indies fans have been taken on a rollercoaster ride in the last 18 months by their team which mixes intermittent brilliant plays with downright mediocre performances in the same series. Beginning with a victory over Afghanistan in the solitary Test played in India in November, 2019, the West Indies then returned the Wisden Trophy (which they had finally recaptured in early 2019) to their English hosts last summer in a three-Test encounter despite having won the first match. Last December, they suffered the ignominy of two innings’ defeats in as many Tests on a disastrous tour of New Zealand, only for a virtual Second XI to surprise the cricketing world with a 2 – 0 series sweep in Bangladesh, two months later. Three months ago, solid all-round performances contributed to a drawn two-match series with the visiting Sri Lankans.
The true litmus test of who these West Indians are has begun. The South Africans are here, to be followed by the always tough Australians next month, albeit only for a series of T20 and ODI matches, and then Pakistan visits in August for a two-match Test series. Last weekend, the West Indies suffered the gross embarrassment of succumbing to an innings’ defeat inside of three days, to a South African side which had endured nine consecutive losses in away Test matches and had not won an overseas Test since July 2017. In only their sixth innings loss at home in 253 Tests, they eked out their lowest total, 259, for this century (and second lowest of all time) when dismissed twice in a match. Was this nadir a one-off occurrence, a mirage, or a true reflection of the team?
The 200th Test loss, the 108th for this century, should certainly be cause for due concern.
However, the West Indies must display their true mettle come Friday, and not let one bad game become a mental pillar in the next match. In both innings, at least five batsmen occupied the crease for close to an hour or more, but other than Roston Chase’s second innings knock of 62 which lasted longer than three hours, no other batsman converted what were solid patient starts into decent innings. The South African bowlers stuck to their game plan and delivered a steady line which, in the end, got the better of the home side. Round one in the mental battle of wills to the South Africans, time for the West Indies to rise to the occasion.
Hopefully, at the end of every day’s play, the rejuvenated West Indies will gather as a group to look at the highlights from the WTC final. As they ponder what it takes to get to the WTC Final, they will observe the application of sound technique by batsmen from either side, and their unwavering concentration at the wicket. No doubt the sound thrashing administered on the West Indian attack by Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson seven months ago is still fresh in the minds of many players.
It is not an accident that India and New Zealand have made it to the inaugural final. Both countries have developed solid expanded squads which are quite capable of withstanding the occasional unexpected absence of key members from the line up, including Williamson and his counterpart Virat Kohli. In fact, so deep are these teams that selecting the final elevens has become somewhat of a guessing game even for experienced observers. The key element to both these sides has been the ability of their varied bowling attacks to adapt and exploit the conditions presented and dismiss the opposition twice to win matches. The lack of consistent penetration by West Indian bowling has become a real Achilles heel and until they can maintain disciplined line and length they will remain fodder for the elite Test batsman.
The next few months will serve as a true litmus test as to where this West Indian side is heading. The stumbling block is not a question of lack of talent but rather eliminating the mental pillar of expecting to lose. They can start by turning the tables on South Africa on Friday and focusing on the long trek to the next World Test Championship Final in 2023.
