Foot Off The Pedal

I suppose India made a similar mistake to what they did in the first game bytaking their foot off the pedal. On Thursday, their bowlers had been caughtunawares because they did not believe the match could start on time due toovernight rain. Here the batsmen did not feel the need to apply since the targetwas so low. They took their eyes off the work ahead and a sequence of wins wasinterrupted.

India were also guilty of playing lofted strokes on a wicket which demandedgrafting. Quite a few perished doing so. In smaller targets, it is always anissue with the batting team. Every batsman tends to leave the job to the nextbecause the target is so low. Suddenly, the loss of a few wickets and theprospects of an unlikely batting mishap are heightened. That's what happened onSaturday.

Just a run stood between India and yet another win in pursuit. Nobody hadforeseen it since the target was so low and the opponents were the lowly WestIndies. Instead of picking on your boys, I guess you need to give credit whereit belongs. Brian Lara's men did a few very smart things in the field onSaturday.

Dwayne Bravo's final delivery encapsulated his team's verve. He had just beensmacked through the covers and another run would have at least preserved India'slead in the series. He now chose to bowl a slower delivery which appeared a lowfull toss. Instead, it was turned into a yorker by the batsman. Bravo dared whenhe had been softened up. That alone seemed to have swayed cricketing gods in hisfavour.

I guess many would wonder if only Yuvraj Singh had pushed the low full tossstraight for a single. It would have at least secured a tie. But he did not havefaith in his last partner's ability to make anything out of the final twodeliveries.

Having come thus far, he was not prepared to be turned away from the gates ofvictory. His was a logical choice even though it was a high-risk shot. Yuvraj isthe last man you should hold up for India's defeat.

Nor I guess it would appear right to pick on the decision to field first.India had won 17 successive run chases and so rests its case. It is also notquite true that this team becomes rudderless if Rahul Dravid leaves the sceneearly. I mean Yuvraj played a fantastic innings on Saturday.

There have been instances in recent months when a (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni or aYuvraj or a (Suresh) Raina have hauled the team past the finish line. ThisIndian team has many match-winners.

Instead, you should admire the way the West Indians fielded in the afternoon.Ramnaresh Sarwan's absence after a long innings was not unexpected. But itafforded substitute Dwayne Smith a chance to showcase his talent. He wasterrific in the field as were the others.

A few of the catches by the bowlers in their follow through, like IanBradshaw and Chris Gayle doing it to Ajit Agarkar and Harbhajan Singh, came atcritical junctures.

Bradshaw showed his value up front. In the first game he had immediately madean impression after new ball bowlers Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor had sprayedaround their thunderbolts. Here the mistake was rectified and he was given thefirst use of the red cherry. His early strikes created those self doubts in themind of the Indian batsmen.

If Sarwan's batting was potent, the potential of a few others, like CarltonBaugh Jr, was also noticeable. Smith is another one who can be of immense helpif he picks up his bowling a notch or two above the present level.

This wicket had slowed up appreciably by the afternoon and I would rather putit down to heavy rain of the past few days. Both the teams are strong in battingand yet both fell short of raising a 200-run mark in their innings.

A win for the West Indies is so much a matter of happiness for fans acrossthe Caribbean. The full-throated support would now be more noticeable insubsequent matches.

The series has been brought alive by two close games even though I still feelthat the Indians carry far too many potent guns in their artillery.

If the strip at St Kitts is indeed supportive of quick bowlers, then theone-day series could go down to the wire. Even though fortuitous, this win ofSaturday, has been good for the coming weeks.

PTI