The Independent Voice of West Indies Cricket

Recounting the decisions which led to WINDIES' downfall at the hands of visiting Proteas

Sun, Jun 13, '21

by KRISSANIA YOUNG

Commentary

Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss on Thursday morning in Gros Islet; and according to the record at the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium, as well as his team composition, the West Indies captain had indeed chosen wisely in his decision to have first bat.

Shai Hope was once again in WINDIES white, umpire Joel Wilson yelled “play,” Kagiso Rabada started short and into Brathwaite’s chest and the much-anticipated (from a regional standpoint) series between the West Indies and South Africa was underway. Now, fast-forward two days and a session and Caribbean fans were once again cursing that proverbial corner.

The decision to bat first

Many have lamented the West Indies’ choice to bat first upon winning the toss. Still, I argue that the decision was indeed the correct one, given the record at the ground. To quote the series preview: “The Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium has hosted seven Test matches, with only three games being result-oriented. However, those three results, which saw the teams batting first winning on all three occasions, have come in the last four games. Those four games producing a first innings average of 337.” How many runs did South Africa—who batted a majority of the 83.5 overs bowled on Day 1—put on in their first innings? 322 runs.

Perhaps the cause of this first Test loss lies not in the decision to bat first, but instead in the gifting away of wickets we were made to witness from the West Indies batsmen on Day 1. As well as the performances on the days which followed; where, apart from Jayden Seales, there were only two other noteworthy individual performances from the home team; in Jason Holder’s 4 for 75 and Roston Chase’s 62 from 156 in the second innings, before Anrich Nortje called curtains at Lunch on Day 3.

The decision to play Seales ahead of Joseph

The West Indies’ Day 1 batting display was almost overshadowed by Jayden Seales’ unforgettable start to a Test career, which followed the Caribbean side being bundled out for 97 before Tea. The 19-year-old,  in his first over of Test cricket, forced fellow debutant, Keegan Petersen, to cover his off-stump, only to edge to Holder at second-slip. The Trinidadian then had Aiden Markram searching for one just outside off-stump, bringing Joshua Da Silva into play. Before Kyle Verreynne was made to rue chasing a wide delivery seaming away, Seales and Da Silva teaming up once more.

Suddenly no one cared that young Jayden Seales had a solitary first-class game to his name. Instead, we were all witnessing, on the grandest stage of all, what Phil Simmons and company mist have been audience to in training. Understanding washed over the cricket fraternity.

The decision to combat the opposition’s strength instead of playing to your own

The West Indies, in going for the extra batter—to combat South Africa’s rampant pace attack, fielded only three strike bowlers, consequently playing two spinners. In hindsight, the home team’s bowling attacking of two medium pacers in Holder and Roach, one inexperienced quick in Seales and two off-spinners in Chase and Cornwall, was never a ‘skittle-them-out-on-Day-1’ attack. Instead, it was a ‘bat-first-bat-long-with-the-aim-of-dismissing-South-Africa-with-a-significant-first-innings-lead-in-hand’ kind of attack.

Again, we have the benefit of hindsight, yet the fact remains true for the West Indies that the ‘extra batter’ paid no tangible dividend, while the two spinning options in Chase and Cornwall went for a combined for 75/1, as Joseph sat on the bench even in the absence of Shannon Gabriel.

Which, ahead of the second Test and the West Indies’ huge summer of cricket, then begs the question as to how much of a home team’s XI should be affected by the make-up of the opposition, versus that team’s own strength and pitch conditions.