In the wee hours of Monday, 27th January, the West Indies Test team sent shockwaves across the Caribbean when they won the Second Test in Pakistan by 120 runs to level the two-match series. This surprising victory would have undoubtedly elicited a wide range of emotions from the ever-dwindling flock of die-hard fans; tears of joy, absolute euphoria, or simply staring at the television screen in incredulity.
One week ago, any fan entertaining thoughts of drawing the match – not even winning – would have been dismissed as deranged. The two Tests were played in Multan on what can best be described as a dry spinners’ track designed to favour the home side, who made no bones about the fact that they intended to pursue a spin attack strategy during the next World Test Champion-ship cycle. The First Test began on 17th January, lasted a mere 1064 balls, and finished inside three days, the shortest Test ever in Pakistan in which all 40 wickets fell. The West Indies’ two innings lasted a mere 371 balls, the ninth fewest overall in Test cricket, with all 20 wickets succumbing to the wily spin attack of Sajid Khan, Abrar Ahmed, and Noman Ali.
The West Indies top order appeared hopelessly at sea in the first innings against the finger spinners, stumbling to an embarrassing 51 for seven, in reply to the hosts’ score of 260. It was left to numbers nine, ten and eleven, in the batting order, Gudakesh Motie (19), Jomal Warrican (31*), and Jayden Seales (22), respectively, to save the visitors from complete humiliation. Their rearguard action facilitated the first instance in the 148-year history of Test cricket where the last three batsmen were the top scorers in an innings. Warrican’s left arm orthodox snared seven wickets for 32 runs in Pakistan’s second innings, the best return by a visiting spinner in an innings in Pakistan, as he became only the fifth bowler, and the first West Indian, to achieve a ten-wicket match haul in Pakistan. Despite Warrican’s heroics with the bat and the ball, he could not prevent the indignity of a 127-run defeat.
At the post-Test press conference, West Indies Captain Kraigg Brathwaite did not hesitate to state what he expected in the Second Test in terms of the pitch, and of his players, stating, “We expect the same type of pitch in the second Test and we’ve got to come better. It was a difficult pitch to bat on for sure. But it’s their decision how they want the pitch. We’ve just got to come good.” He also noted that he didn’t think that there was much difference between the two sides, a point borne out by the fact that the real difference in the match had been the 141-run, fifth-wicket partnership in Pakistan’s first innings.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the West Indies relived the nightmare of the first innings of the previous Test, floundering at 38 for seven, as Noman Ali completed a hat trick. Once again, the bottom three in the line up, Motie (55), Kemar Roach (25), and Warrican (36*), were the three top scorers, as the West Indies compiled a paltry 163. By the close of play, a resurgent West Indies team, led by the spin duo of Warrican and Motie, had dismissed Pakistan for 154, as a record 20 wickets fell on the first day. With Skipper Brathwaite leading the way with a solid half century, the visitors opted for an aggressive approach to the Pakistan spinners, the second time around – fortune favoured the brave – as they raced to 244 at the impressive run rate of 3.68 per over. Pakistan, in the difficult position of 74 for four, at the close of the second day, were soon reduced to 76 for six, early on the third morning. The visitors needed a little more than an hour to complete the totally unexpected victory, in a match where only 96 balls were delivered by the fast bowlers, the second fewest in Tests.
Warrican’s nine-wicket haul took the Man of the Match honours whilst his West Indian record equalling 19 wickets in a two-Test series (tying with Shane Shillingford and Motie) earned him the Man of the Series title. It was the West Indies’ first win in Pakistan in 34 years.
Almost a year to the date – 28th January, 2024 – the West Indies had accomplished a similar feat, winning a Test match at Brisbane in Australia, by eight runs, to level the two-Test series. It was their first defeat of Australia in over 20 years, their first win in Australia since at Perth in 1997, and their first win in a day-night Test, and Australia’s first loss in that format.
Which brings us to the conundrum at hand; why is the West Indies’ good performance in Test cricket so sporadic? They oscillate between the extremes of very good to pathetic. In 17 Test series since the 2020/2021, the West Indies have won four times, including winning 2-0 in Bangladesh in that season, a feat which no other nation – not Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka nor Pakistan — had managed to accomplish since 2012. Eight series losses, inclusive of six sweeps, have been tempered with five drawn ones. The high from that Australian victory was quickly diminished by a series sweep in England, a loss at home to South Africa and a draw with Bangladesh in the Caribbean.
In searching for answers to this puzzle, one can point to the constant changes in the team – both players and coaches, the distraction of competing in three formats, the lack of support from home crowds, and the continuing battles with Cricket West Indies (the board). These are mere excuses and should not count once the players step on the field of play. It’s not a question of talent since they are competitive most of the time. Has the culture of losing become so ingrained in the psyche of the players that subconsciously they don’t think that they are good enough to win? Has our Caribbean cultural laissez-faire approach to life on the whole, quietly seeped onto the field of play?
Will we ever regain the mental tenacity required to compete day in and day out at Test level? Only time will tell. In the meantime, we will just to have settle for the occasional unexpected win.