Trekking back to Respectability

Chrab is leading the Windies to reattain the heights of Mt. Respectability, last occupied under courtney Walsh. Over the last couple of seasons, the Chrab has been one of the most prolific Test batsmen - with an average of 74, scoring in this period a fifth of his runs in a career that goes back to 1994. This period coincides with Lara's slow walk into the sunset, and there is no doubt that the man from Guyana has reignited the trek when his expedition looked destined to stay in the Dark Valley of Sad Bastards.

He has been ably assisted by the man who is now his captain, Ramnaresh Sarwan who is fit after a string of injuries that made him look like a Jellybean, and the loss of form that saw him sit out of the team in Pakistan. His last eight scores, dating back to late March when the Windies received the Lankans at home, read: 128, 65, 12, 7, 102, 57, 72, 80.

It has been repeated ad nauseum: the Windies cannot always depend on Chrab, Gayle and Sarwan to stay afloat. Disco Dwayne needs to become a better number 6 batsman. He is doing just about alright on these sleepy West Indian pitches, but his baby-soft dismissal yesterday when Sarwan had practically taken them all the way, left the door open for a sneaky Sydney-style re-entry. Smith and Runako need to do better, at least on these pitches - uneven or not. If they don't the musical chairs with Ganga will coninue.

I wont talk about the Windies bowling, not only because I am lazy, but also because we're talking mere respectability. Once those heights are attained, they can talk about the pace battery, and decent spinners and think about Mt. Compete.

Tension

Yes, yes, yes!!!

The Aussies are down. But will they stay down? An intriguing test match this, on a dodgy pitch, with the best Aussie batsmen out, and the West Indian pacers on fire. But what kind of a target is actually gettable on this pitch? The lead is already 136, and I don't fancy the Windies chasing anything more than 240 without Gayle. Unless of course the Chrab turns up for an encore.

Disco Dwayne!! So the IPL is not so debilitatng for Test match techniques, eh?

New shades of Gayle

The first fifteen overs of the West Indies innings, in response to a Sri Lankan 235, were some of the best ODI cricket I had seen in a while. Coolkat Gayle and Wily Vaas. Vaas has had the better of Gayle over the years, sometimes just needing to turn up and roll his arm over to recieve the giftwrapped wicket. Starting the second Test, viewers have seen shades of Gayle that have not been evident previously. Yesterday, the struggle against the Vaasdomination continued, with Gayle prepared to leave almost everything outside off against Vaas, and continue his buccaneering ways against whoever was bowling at the other end. Vaas swung the ball, well into the second powerplay, and Gayle continued to wait, gleefully accepting his luck on the way. Amarasinghe got some stick and Gayle got himself a fifty in what was in the final analysis, a captain's knock. Everyone knows how brittle the WestIndies middle order can be, and Gayle ensured that they recieved a smooth entry.

West Indies are in a position where they have needed their senior players to stand up. In the Tests, is was Sarwan who was prepared for the fight. Gayle did it last night. Of course, the presence of Chanders can only make work easier. Here's to more such spunk from the Raddest F***ing Cricketer Alive - Gayle.

Look West

No point arguing about it - South Africa have India on their knees and are "aiming to penetrate" so to speak. All those ghost-written Boucher articles may touch a nerve - but most of what he says is true. Steyn and Ntini (like the dudes to the left) have opened a few ol' wounds, and it will take an effort of colossal psychological magnitude to pull this one back.
At times like this, when a team looks bereft of life, inspiration can come from unlikely sources. Apart from the source, there should be an open welcoming mind that will recognize inspiration when it hits it in the face. All good wanting to be Australia, but education can come from the neglected Windies too.

Gayle is shit against Vaas and he knew it. But 1-0 down, he knuckled down, and did not give Vaas his wicket, and made a valuable 45 in the first innings, on what looked like a lively wicket, inspiring debutant and opening partner Chattegoon to do the same along the way.

The man whose attitude is always being questioned- Sarwan made telling contributions in both innings' - proved once again that he is a match winner.

The West Indian Wall, the chrab, gave one of his stabdard performances when it really really mattered.

Traditional strengths to the fore: a pace triumvurate that performed to its history.

Lots of lessons. You should've taken notes, Gary.

Shiv!

I used to be an irrational Chanderpaul hater, repeatedly lampooning him as talentless and undeserving of a spot in a batting line-up that included Lara. And for years, in the face of mounting evidence, I clutched at straws to push my argument. And now finally, I am admitting defeat: any batsman who can survive (yeah, just surviving will do) for eighteen hours at the crease in between dismissals is a good batsman. And in a lineup full of pretenders, he is the only hope. He might not represent the wizardry that the West Indian game symbolises, but right now, he means much more to the team that the more talented Gayle and Samuels.

The day the music died

Who cares if he destabilized West Indian cricket, or if he had a massive ego. Where will the joy come from now? Will the laptop lackeys give us the pleasure of watching Lara crackle into position?