Controversies and even an England win in the 3rd and final Test in St. Lucia might have shadowed some facts coming out of the series, but here’s the most important one — it took Windies a combined seven days to defeat England and claim the series with a game to spare. It was the Caribbean side’s first Test series win versus a team other than Bangladesh or Zimbabwe since defeating New Zealand 2-0, here in 2012. It was as you were for the West Indian bowlers in Tests, resuming their 2018 home form, as they added another fifty-five (of a possible sixty) to the ninety-six (of a possible one hundred) wickets they picked up last year. Unfortunately, the same was so (in terms of home form from last year) for the Windies top-order, where only two individual half centuries were scored by top-order batsmen in ten individual innings throughout the entirety of the series.
Windies batsmen found wanting yet again
As has been the theme of this hopeful resurgence of Caribbean cricket, an unhealthy relationship prolongs between batsmen and bowlers; when Windies bowlers have been reliable and are able to make amends, batsmen continue to “flatter to deceive”. A prime example of this in the just-concluded Test series was evident when indiscipline marred the Holder-less attack during the first innings of the second Test, still the seamers were able to pick up wickets (whether that’s a testament to the English’s batting abilities or lack thereof). When those same seamers were found out later in that innings, by a partnership between Ben Foakes and Moeen Ali, Roach and company recovered well; finding the line and length to sweep England’s lengthy tail aside. Giving credit also to the batsmen in that particular innings as they did well to ‘cover’ for the bowling attack leaking 40/50 runs too many. We give credit, in this instance, to the Windies batsmen since circumstances—the areas the two English seamers (Anderson and Broad) were hitting, coupled with the unpredictable nature of the pitch—were such that, if the openers came out a minute earlier than they did, or Windies’ batsmen ate an extra grape during the break, or spat just a little bit further than they did, they would not have been able to accomplish what they did during that innings—batting 131 overs on that pitch.
At the mention of credit, how much should we give to this bowling attack for realizing their error on Day 1 of the third Test (being too short in length) and rectifying their shortcomings immediately the following morning to take the remaining six England wickets for just forty-six runs? Regardless, so inconsistent and unreliable remains this Windies top-order, that when asked to have a turn at carrying the basket, they let it slip, leading to the loss of the final Test (only the two openers from the top six got into double-figures).
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