35 Years of India/WI Tests
Tue, May 30, '06
Since West Indies played India for the first time in a Test series in 1948, the West Indies have opposed India in 78 tests, winning 30, drawing 38 and losing 10.
When the four-Test home series starts at the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG) on June 2, the Indians will be hunting their first series win in the Caribbean in 35 years and only second in nine series in the West Indies.
In addition to their two series victories in India in 1978 and 2003, the only other time that India have beaten the West Indies in a test series was on their 1971 five-test tour to the Caribbean when they won 1-nil following a remarkable victory in Trinidad.
In the second test, Trinidad spinner Jack Noreiga took 9-95 in the first innings which still remains the best bowling performance by a West Indian in a test innings. This could not however, prevent India, set 125 to win, from achieving victory with seven wickets in hand.
After Irving Shillingford removed Vinood Mankad for 45 to break a 68-run opening stand, Noreiga captured every other wicket in the Indian first innings as they were dismissed for 352 replying to the home team?s 214.
Off-spinner Srinivas Venkataraghavan then bagged 5-95 as West Indies fell for 261 in their second innings despite 80 from Roy Fredericks and an unbeaten 74 from Charlie Davis who made 71 in the first innings.
India?s opener Sunil Gavaskar scored four centuries and three fifties in that series despite missing the first test.
The last time theses sides clashed in a test series, the host beat West Indies 2-nil in India in 2003 but a record of just three victories from 38 matches with 16 defeats in the Caribbean does not inspire much confidence for Indian supporters, especially after their 4-1 defeat in the one-day series.
India has managed to win just three of the 17 series between the two sides (1971, 1978/79 & 2003) and the Brian Lara-led West Indies side should start the test series with plenty of confidence following their one-day success and their familiarity of the home conditions.
MISSING SACHIN
The unavailability of master batsman Sachin Tendulkar because of injury, is a big blow for India since although the right-hander has not featured prominently recently, his presence in the team could have been of immense psychological value.
The last time India came to the West Indies in 2002 they lost the five-test series 2-1 as their batsmen?s aversion to the fast bouncy pitches in Barbados and Jamaica contributed to their demise after they had taken a lead in the series with a battling second test victory.
Without Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly in their party this time, a lot will depend on the experience of skipper Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman to lead the batting.
The pitches used for the one-day series were slow and offered help to the spinners. Off-spinner Harbajan Singh and leg-spinner Anil Kumble will be hoping that Lara?s call for ?green pitches? to help his young fast bowlers and neutralize the Indian spinners, does not materialize.
RENEWED WEST INDIES SPIRIT
The West Indies strength seem to be their renewed team spirit and under Lara?s inspirational leadership the home team showed glimpse of the type of fielding in the one-day series that was common place in the glory days of their cricket in the 1980s.
Lara, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul are all experienced high-class batsmen and if others like re-called opener Daren Ganga, Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Runako Morton and wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin pull their weight with the bat, West Indies stand their best chance of winning their first test series since they beat Bangladesh 1-nil in 2004.
Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor have the pace to worry the batsmen while the selection of back-of-the hand left-arm spinner Dave Mohamed for the first time since he played against England in 2004, provides the bowling attack with verity.
After losing an unprecedented eight consecutive tests under Chanderpaul?s captaincy in their last nine matches, West Indies have won nine of the ten matches they have played since Lara assumed his third reign as West Indies skipper and this test series should provide a stern test for the improving West Indies team currently ranked only above Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in test cricket.
REFRESHING BODY LANGUAGE
What has been refreshing is the body language of the players both on and off the field; suggesting that the team is now more united, more committed, more motivated and hungry for victories.
Fans have witnessed an almost total transformation in the attitude of the players since their return form New Zealand and Lara?s imaginative captaincy has often taken the initiative from the opposition and produced telling blows in pressure situations to set up victory; something that was badly missing from the team in recent times.
There is still a far way to go and India will certainly be no push over in the tests. All West Indian fans ask for is fighting cricket and 100% effort. At least for now they seem to be getting it from a rejuvenated West Indies team.
* Sean Devers is a Guyanese freelance journalist. He works as a radio commentator for the Caribbean Media Corporation.