WI v Aus: Second Test Report Card
CHRIS GAYLE
Gayle came to the crease in the first innings looking like a man on a mission. He seemed determined to make up for his rash strokeplay in the first Test. Two overs later, Gayle seemed intent to play the stereotypical destructive Gayle innings. A heart murmur later, Gayle #1 reappeared, followed by Gayle #2. The left-hander played something of an unbalanced innings of mixed intent which ultimately proved effective until he was undone by a Glenn McGrath's slower ball at which point he was undone by the umpire too.
In the second innings, Gayle's flawed technique was exposed by a full, late swinging delivery. He stayed back, looked to play through the line, not moving his feet. It was a great delivery but Gayle should not have been so thoroughly undone.
GRADE: C
DEVON SMITH
For Devon Smith's first innings review, please refer to paragraph two of Gayle?s evaluation.
Smith?s attempt to make up his abysmal first innings came to an abrupt end when he was done by Glenn McGrath in a dismissal that showed a lack of mental toughness. McGrath?s ultimate ball to Smith was not a loose half tracker or ripe half volley that Smith miscued. It wasn?t even a cracking, inswinging yorker or perfectly directed bouncer, but a run-of-the-mill, lifting, straight delivery delivered from around the wicket.
The dismissal had less to do with the merits of that particular ball and more to do with the way McGrath clamed Smith?s scalp in the 1st Test of the series. He was out from the time McGrath told the umpire he was coming around the wicket. Hopefully the young Grenadian learns from this duel.
GRADE: F
RAMNARESH SARWAN
The talented Guyanese batsman did his best to confound his fans yet again. His first innings dismissal once again found him fishing outside off very tentatively. To confound things even further Sarwan came to the crease in the next innings and immediately looked comfortable dispatching balls to the boundary with grand style. After getting a solid start Sarwan fell flashing hard at a wide one for 31. Yet another Test in which Sarwan?s batting flattered to deceive.
GRADE: D
BRIAN LARA
The weirdest moment of Lara?s sojourns at the crease had little to do with his much discussed dismissals. It was the slower ball he received from McGrath early in his 2nd innings. Lara not only didn?t pick it quickly but ended up looking like a club cricketer whilst attempting to play it. I caught myself laughing at the sheer hilarity of how completely flummoxed a world class Test batsman could look at the crease but also saddened at what might be sign of an aging great losing his edge.
But here?s the genius of Lara as a batsman. Though tied down and made to labour for his runs by the Aussies, Lara?s temperament was solid, never wavering from the goal of playing himself methodically back into form and not looking to blast his way to a short term fix. Lara looked to play a genuine quality Test innings in the face of current batting travails. Though not back to his best, his 2nd innings 45 did show hints of what would be a welcome return to form. GRADE: D
SHIVNARINE CHANDERPAUL
The captain's 1st innings was a good sign for West Indian fans. He played his usually obdurate style and that his 39 went by without notice was a sign of some reemergence of form. His dismissal however was oddly soft for a batsman of his grittiness. Chanderpaul looked composed during his 2nd innings stay before feathering one through to Gilchrist, even though the West Indian captain was clearly less convinced than the umpire.
On to the touchy subject of captaincy, it seems the West Indian camp has adopted a method I had previously jokingly endorsed: captaincy by committee. It seemed as though Chanderpaul was sharing the duties with Lara and Sarwan or at least seeking their input heavily. Regardless of the situation, the asterisk is placed next to his name in the batting card so the captaincy review will appear in his review. In the face of his much maligned leadership, seeking the advice of the immediate past captain and current vice captain, Chanderpaul could be praised for utilizing the resources available to him.
Chanderpaul had a decidedly mixed bag with his field placings and reactive captaincy drawing some measure of criticism. However, there were a few bright spots. His rotation of the bowlers was generally well executed and the part timers were not transformed to frontliners even in the face of a towering 1st wicket stand.
GRADE: D
MARLON SAMUELS
Samuels had a forgettable first innings, scoring 5 runs in 37 minutes. It was hardly an innings befitting a young batsman of his immense potential. In his next innings Samuels looked decently settled at the crease and played a fighting innings while struggling with a knee injury.
Now on his way back to the Caribbean as a result of the injury, the young batsman yet again failed to make a real impression at the highest level of the game.
GRADE: D
DWAYNE BRAVO
The young Trinidadian batsman, bowler, ace fielder and all around spark plug really showed his mettle in this Test. Though he has not attained the cult status once reserved for Botham and currently heaped upon Andrew Flintoff, the writing seems to be on the wall. His trip to the crease in the first was unproductive and his bowling performance, though not his best, was an improvement over Lawson. His fielding was as what we expect from Bravo; top class.
Bravo?s potential as a match winner and a solid peg in the future plans of the West Indies was evident in his morale boosting rearguard century. A solid innings of character and a riposte of clear intent, his strokeplay was confident but never outlandish and his defense rock solid. This performance combined with a century in his previous Test will most certainly assure that the selectors will not look to omit Bravo from the 3rd Test XI.
GRADE: A
DENESH RAMDIN
The young ?keeper started off the match slowly. He was caught on the wrong foot when Hussey edged one between Ramdin and Gayle. More embarrassing was his slipping, sliding dismissal barely having troubled the scorer.
Then came his fearless partnership with his fellow Trini Bravo. The partnership between these two was a welcome relief from the white flag that the West Indian batsman began waving from the time the wicket of Nathan Bracken was claimed at the Gabba. Ramdin?s constant chirping from behind the stumps has also been a welcome chance from the relative silence of the stoic Jacobs and much maligned Browne.
GRADE: B
DAREN POWELL
Instead of hemming and hawing about his inconsistent bowling with disappointing returns clearly below his potential, the best way to sum Powell?s match is that his 1st innings score of 15 was the highlight of his match.
GRADE: F
FIDEL EDWARDS
Wicket-taker. Hard worker. Frequent no-balls. Sometimes wayward. Expensive. Injury prone. These are the tags often applied to Edwards in his fledgling career. In this test we saw all of these to varying extents.
He was the most successful bowler taking three Australian 1st innings wicket and every ball was bowled with rampant intensity. He bowled the most no-balls of any West Indian bowler though his tally was down from the 1st Test. Towards the end of his spells he seemed to tire a little and the radar seemed to fade. Though not a striking performance, it did show a measure of his immense potential.
GRADE: C
COREY COLLYMORE
The experienced Bajan was once again the pick of West Indian pace corps, bowling his immaculate line and length and going for less than two runs an over. There was a hint of a latter day Curtly Ambrose in his miserly returns though unable to claim numerous scalps. This lack of ability to consistently deliver the incisive blow is the only possible negative aspect of his splendid performance.
GRADE: B
* Also see WI v Aus: First Test Report Card.