It’s the calypso time after long. Return of the mighty West Indies. They have won a test series after long. Over the last few years, Caribbean players were averse to playing red ball cricket. Number of their best players had defected to franchise cricket to earn their livelihood rather than fight over the non-payment issues by WICB.
Indian fans have their perpetual bridesmaids, and they are WI and NZ. If India is not playing, they would for most part barring few exceptions always support these two countries. WI teams have been appreciated by the cricket connoisseurs world over. Number of us who arrived in this world in the 60s, 70s and early 80s had our lives coincide with the finest years of the West Indies cricket. West Indies cricketers were on everyone’s fantasy teams. Sight of the west Indian fast bowlers running down and hurling red cherry across 22 yards was music for everyone except for the one that was subject to chin music.
The glory days of West Indies was an entire package. Their arms quiver wasn’t loaded with
the fast bowlers, it boasted of some of the finest and most fearless batsmen who had people drooling in awe. That was an offensive and defensive tango that ruled the world for more than couple of decades before came a lull.
During the years of this lull, west Indian cricketers cashed in with numerous leagues of the world playing franchise cricket to make hay while the sun shined. They didn’t want to miss out on cash payout. Opportunities like that don’t come along that often. West Indies board’s non willingness to pay their players didn’t help either. In all this, the cricket in the Caribbean suffered especially test cricket.
Cut to 2021. Post COVID, West Indies decided to visit Bangladesh for a 2-test series. COVID and other factors contributed to WICB putting together a highly inexperienced team led by Kraigg Braithwaite and only couple of people other than the skipper who had some serious experience playing international cricket, white ball/red ball.
Test cricket which is among the endangered species lost lot more of its charm when 2020 had the business suspended for the greater part. What 2021 has done so far has been the best advertisement for Test Cricket. It reiterates the fact that it is the purest form of cricket and true test of player’s character how they perform in this format.
2021 has also checked multiple boxes, while delivering on that promise. If you don’t have your best players available, no problem. If you have fallen behind the proverbial eight ball in the tests, no issues. Three of the series played this year, Eng.-SL, Ind-Aus., WI-Ban, have had the underdogs prevail. Fourth one has started on this course in Ind-Eng. but Indians are ready to stop the slide as I write this. But the focus isn’t on other teams here.
I want to take some time here and marvel about the triumph of the mighty WI and their journey back towards the cricketing greatness. They had fallen over the years to an extent that the host Bangladesh was an overwhelming favorite. No pundits had even bothered to offer the guests even a remote chance to upstage the Bangla tigers in their own den. Not only did the Caribbean boys win both the tests, but they also won them resiliently. It wasn’t a walkover but both tests showed that they were down but not out. WI was on the verge of losing both the tests in different manners, but they survived and stayed the course. This should help the dwindling popularity of the sport in the islands.
New heroes have been added to cricketing legend and one of their debutants struck a double century to pull off a heist which would have made the cricketing greats of West Indies proud. Two of their debutants chased down a rather significant total in completely alien conditions has reinstilled the faith in the WI cricket. They have been down but it ain’t over yet.
Test cricket is most beautiful when the teams fire in unison a la synchronous orchestra. WI has been one of the front chairs in this orchestra and it is important for cricket to have them make a return towards their glory days.
