Preview: Collins or Ramnarine? Hinds?

Here we are again. On Thursday morning in Barbados, West Indies cricket faces its latest examination from India and from its own lack of confidence. The third test at the Kensington Oval is upon us.

Carl Hooper and the management team have a few options available in determining the makeup of the final eleven. From the Trinidad Test, Ridley Jacobs for Junior Murray is automatic but there is a big decision to be made in the bowling department.

They can bolster their batting with Ryan Hinds and retain Cameron Cuffy, Merv Dillon and Adam Sanford as the quicker bowlers with the memory of the failed run chase still fresh in their minds. As an alternative, they can choose to replace the discarded Marlon Black with either Dinanath Ramnarine or Pedro Collins. A purely statistical view and form guide would see Ramnarine being picked, but the nature of the pitch coupled with the advice from Richard 'Prof' Edwards, which is four quicks should play, would see Collins getting the nod in his native Barbados.

The less risky option would be to strengthen the batting. Both Collins and Ramnarine are single digit batsmen and would lengthen the tail. However, Ryan Hinds could scarcely be seen as an all-rounder as his left arm spin would most likely be gobbled up by the Indian batsmen. It is puzzling that Wavell Hinds' electric recent performance with the bat plus his ability to send down medium pace bowling was roundly ignored. But we are, after all, in Barbados and this option will hardly be addressed as a realistic alternative to Ryan Hinds under the circumstances.

The other option puts in a spinner who has been moderately successful against a left arm bowler who commentators cannot use the word variety enough to describe. Collins statistics are pretty horrible and his 8 Tests have been donated on the basis of unrealised potential. I'm cynical about the whole timing, but if Collins plays and does well it will (and should) surprise both you and I. This approach of preparing for a Test match like a surprise party is idiotic.

One fascinating aspect of the Ttest match on the West Indian side is the quest to discover which side of Captain Carl we will encounter. Will it be the captain who asked for a spinning wicket in Antigua last year, got it and some, picked two spinners, won the toss and bowled first against the groundsmans advice? Or will it be the captain who openly respects the pundits and picked four quicks and bowled first, following the supposed sage advice at the QPO? We wait with bated breath.

There is also the pressure generated from the excitement provided by Devon Smith and Wavell Hinds in St Lucia (Busta Cup XI). Stuart Williams has a very good regional record at Kensington and both he and Chris Gayle (to a lesser extent) are under pressure. Again, with Smith's performance in St Lucia, coupled with his match winning century this Busta season at Kensington, it would have seemed a natural decision to make the change now, but the selectors seem to want to justify their initial picks and not look bad in dropping them both immediately. As logic goes, this is as good as it gets.

Ridley Jacobs returns to the scene of his Test century last season against South Africa. That kind of performance would be more than welcome.

Confidence-wise, the team is talking a good fight. Coach Harper is confident as usual (is he ever anything else?), and Brian Lara said last night on radio that the Indians "know we are a better side than they are". Such tough-talking should not be letdown with a disappointing performance.

Merv Dillon has bowled well at Kensington in the past and he and Cuffy need to start repaying the faith put in them firstly in keeping the new ball from the more naturally aggressive Sanford, and also in being senior fast bowlers in this team. Unfortunately, unlike the opening position the options are pretty much uncertain. Bajan speedster Tino Best is supposedly too raw, Jermaine Lawson seems to have disappeared from the selectors' radar, and Darren Powell may well have to wait until Jamaica to see if he can get his (Collins-like) lucky break. An outside bet may be Reon King, but his form has dipped so badly it may be a relief more than anything else.

For India, the equations should be more simple, coming off the Trinidad win. Yet, this match takes on equally critical proportions. Like the West Indies when they tour, India are well known to crumble once the going gets tough. QPO was the first examination of their resolve and even considering they were not put under the ultimate pressure of batting last, they passed the test well.

,
The word from their camp is that they may partner SS Das with Wasim Jaffer in a move to bring Dasgupta back into the side to strengthen the batting. However, Das is not in good form and neither is Dasgupta with the gloves or bat. On top of this, neither Harbajhan Singh nor Kumble have shown indications of running through the West Indies batting and it will be a tough choice to separate them, with Singh having the slight advantage due to the number of lefthanders in the West Indies batting. The seamers pick themselves based on the last Test result and performances as a unit.

On both sides, the form of Tendulkar and Lara will again be crucial. The last match between these two teams at Kensington was notable for a terrible collapse by India chasing a small total. The wicket was not the greatest but, more importantly, West Indies had a better bowling attack then.

The current Indian bowling may not be world beaters but they are better than Kuruvilla and Dodda Ganesh, etc. In that last match, Lara's 40-odd in the second innings was a match-winner. He may have to be yet again, in a team which seems unable to stop reverting to memory when under pressure. Similarly Tendulkar has the demons of not being able to carry India past the winning post.

Both teams are fighting their labels. Thursday morning they start a new phase in the battle at a venue that has been historically kind to the home side.

Let the battle commence. And may the umpires remember they are elite and perform to that standard.