India vs West Indies: Why 2 consecutive draws will mean defeat for India
Why two draws on the trot will be equivalent to a defeat for India
India embraced on the four-Test tour of West Indies early August with hopes of achieving historic 4-0 victory over the lowly West Indies. India have never-ever won more than one Test on any of their previous West Indies tours and they still stand a good chance to achieve that with two more games to go. Anil Kumble, who was announced as India’s new coach would have been confident of a superior show against the calypso boys based on the hosts’ Test fortunes. Led by the charismatic Virat Kohli, the Indian batsmen and bowlers would have hoped for seemingly easy contest against their counterparts. India are leading the series with 1-0 and if they manage to win the rest of matches, India will go to the top of ICC Test rankings, irrespective of the results in the other ongoing series. Full Cricket Scorecard: India vs West Indies, 3rd Test match
Indian Test side boast of some of the most talented and gifted players in Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Murali Vijay and Ravichandran Ashwin, who on their day can take the match up the scruff of its neck. India had a good practice in the warm-up against West Indies Board Presidents XI, to the point of being tested with both — patience and skills with the ball.
The first Test at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua, began with much fan-fare in India as got to see proper cricket after a long time. It all started well for India, as Kohli winning the toss elected to bat on what looked as a flat deck, brought in somewhere from India. Indian batsmen made merry, and notched up milestone after milestone. Starting from the out-of-form opener Shikhar Dhawan, to Kohli who blasted himself to his maiden Test double, got runs by the loads.
It was followed by a Ashwin special ton and a quick-fire fifty by Amit Mishra as India posted a mammoth 566 for 8. In reply, the Indian pace duo of Shami and Umesh Yadav, annihilated the West Indies line-up as the hosts skittles out for 243 in their 1st innings. Second time round it was all the Ashwin show, who nabbed a 7-for to hand India an innings and 92 run victory. ALSO READ: IND vs WI, 3rd Test at St Lucia: Likely XI for India
Kumble, and team management would have been proud of such a resounding display of all-round cricket, with hopes of 4-0 clean sweep clearly in-sight.
Entering the second Test with heads held high, Kohli and co might have hoped for an encore show from Antigua.
This time the script had a bit of change, Jason Holder won the toss and elected to bat on a track which looked conducive to fast bowling. Still advantage was with India, leading the series and with bowlers high on confidence.
Ashwin, who had been always criticised for being a below average bowler away from the sub-continent, determined to silence all his naysayers, rounded off getting his eighteenth 5-for as West Indies were dismantled for 196 in their first innings. This time it was KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane,who cracked ton to guide India to another 500 run total, with threat of rain lurking around.
West Indies in the their second innings were guilty of giving easy wickets again but were saved by the resilient and courageous Roston Chase — who struck his maiden Test century. Chase was ably supported by Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich and skipper Holder. The fab-four of this West Indies side managed to keep India out of another emphatic win and gaining a 2-0 lead in the series.
Not the one to give excuses, Indian bowlers clearly looked incapable of picking 20-wickets in successive games. Kohli and Team India may have felt cheated by the constant rain delays and an almost washed-out Day Four, but knowing their mindset, Kumble surely must have expected his players to be more responsible for the draw and not blame anything else.
Coming into the third Test, it now becomes highly impervious that India go for the kill and do not give an inch to the West Indies team. Being ruthless and unnerving it the first step of ascension to being numero uno in Tests. Speaking of numero uno, India still have a chance of going on top of ICC Test ranking, currently placed on second spot behind Australia, who faced a disastrous defeat against Sri Lanka. A win in the second Test, might have put them in forefront and provided them a chance of eclipsing Australia, but with a draw, it now becomes a must win scenario for Kohli.
With Australia, Pakistan and England all in fray of attaining the number one spot, a draw in the third Test means a big dent for India.
Only a 3-0 win in the series can take India to Test domination. Knowing, how the West Indies came back with a bang, and exhibited exemplary fighting spirit it shall not be easy for the Men in Blue, going forward. With an enervating home season for India coming-up it is of prime importance that Indian players are all are well oiled and churned. India having started all guns blazing, gave West Indies the ammunition to come back in the series and now should ensure of deflating hopes of the hosts’ of any further inflicting causality to the visitors’ aspirations.
India will be hurt after securing a draw, and another draw in the series could be harmful to India’s credence going forward. With a young and fierce Team India, a draw in the coming Test will not only hand them a disappointment-filled pill to swallow but also mete out a psychological defeat to their ever studious and evolving physic.
(Vishal Mehra is reporter at CricketCountry, who enjoys his weekly dose of anime, and plays cricket once a white moon. His twitter handle is @capturethecatch )