West Indies' Inevitable Weakness Explodes At The Doorstep Of Creating History

It was imminent. England’s bowling attack and the conditions make it quite impending for any team’s batting line-up to go through the trials and tribulations in their backyard. And West Indies’ case was not going to be any different. In 2017, West Indies suffered multiple batting collapses, unable to reach 200 in four out of their six innings.

Also Read: England Played A Really Good Game But That Period With The Second New Ball Let Us Down: Jason Holder

Three years later, as Jason Holder’s men once again arrived, chasing a historical win; the only thing believed to have stood between it was their batting line-up. For West Indies to win, they needed a reprise of Shai Hope’s magnum opus of Leeds at least twice or at least half to take the Wisden Trophy home.

While the tourists supposedly came, expecting a daunting challenge and preparing for it, the apparent weakness concealed through their victory in Southampton. However, it could not in Manchester.

Prior to the series, West Indian legend Brian Lara picked England as overwhelming favourites, touting his countrymen not having the ability to survive five days. And he was not wrong, considering they arrived in the United Kingdom, shorn of Shimron Hetmyer and Darren Bravo. But he also stated the obvious that emerging victorious would mean a lot to them, given the whole Black Lives Matter movement got behind them to script history.

Yet, when considered the on-field scenarios, the West Indian batting line-up was indeed fragile even though the English’s was not far from it. Despite how the Caribbean bowlers repeatedly skittled Joe Root’s men last year in West Indies, the equation changed. West Indies were the visitors on this occasion, perhaps the most significant upper hand England held.

At the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, Ben Stokes’ debatable decision to bat first worked brilliantly for them under overcast conditions. Similar to how Lara admitted that getting on top of the Englishmen was the only way to contain them. Jason Holder’s men precisely did that, spearheaded by their captain, who took six wickets to fold them for 204.

Their measured and circumspect approach helped them take a substantial first-innings lead. After remaining on the backfoot during the partnership of Ben Stokes and Zak Crawley in the second innings, the bowlers hit back to set a chasable target.

Even after early blows, the West Indian batsmen, led by Jermaine Blackwood, displayed the steel and got over the finish line with four wickets to spare.

Though it’s worth mentioning that England caused a fair share of their mistakes too, the team selections, the inability of their batsmen to hang on, dropped catches and fumbles summed up the home side’s underperformance. But this is not to say that the West Indies does not deserve credit for entirely pouncing on their weaknesses just as this very English side did not pause for pity for the modest South African outfit they faced earlier this year in their backyard.

Walking into the Old Trafford, the tourists carried a series lead and the momentum on their back. They all needed to put their bodies on the line only once more across five days to emerge victorious in Manchester and the series the first time since 1988.

Perhaps the conditions were favourable again that provoked Holder to field first and it could have been a reprise of Southampton. But Stokes and Dom Sibley came with a set plan and succeeded by a mile.

It’s essential to note that the pacers did not bowl badly. The stiffness in them from bowling extended spells in Southampton was indeed a significant factor, but luck did not favour them either. In response to England’s 469, the West Indies had to survive twice in two and a half days, which was a lot of time.

There were reversal of fortunes here. England had a monumental task on their hands, which was to grab 19 wickets in two days. Though West Indies fielded for 162 overs, the third-day washout gave them ample time to stay fresh and bat tirelessly.

Intensity from England proved too much for the West Indies:

Similar to how England collapsed in the second innings in Southampton, the visitors found themselves on the receiving end. At 242-4 before tea, they looked in line not only to avoid the follow-on but also the possibility of batting the entire day. As soon as Root took the second new ball, Stuart Broad reduced them to being seven down. Was it that West Indies took them lightly, considering the hosts appeared at sea? While there were three half-centuries and a couple of starts, the West Indies’ batsmen could not show the application required to survive the second-new ball.

And it is what defines a ruthless outfit, not taking the foot off the pedal at any cost. It is what touring parties need to beat teams on their soil. West Indies did enough to avoid the follow-on but could not stop England from going considerably ahead. A 182-lead was followed by Stokes entirely switching gears as opposed to the first innings, swinging at anything and everything. By this time, the self-belief of a win inserted in the English camp and a vice-captain-led onslaught handed the visitors 85 overs to survive with an improbable 312 for victory on day five.

While supposedly trying to save the game, the West Indies committed basic errors. The likes of Shane Dowrich, Roston Chase, and Shamarh Brooks were caught on the crease, lacking the adequate foot movement, rapping them on their pads.

John Campbell could not curb his temptation of driving a full juicy delivery outside off stump early in the innings from Broad, knicking to Buttler. Hope needs to go back to the drawing board, teasing an off-cutter outside the off-stump that tickled to the keeper behind the stumps in the first innings from Curran. He reached 25 that time and could have gone on to do much more on a flat deck.

Broad’s brute of delivery in the fourth innings for his second wicket was too much to survive for a batsman, whose only two centuries in Tests came three years ago. Stokes could do get very few wrongs these days as bowling indefatigably short-pitched deliveries landed unplayably once on Blackwood, spooning to Buttler, who took his third catch of the match. How so ever boring it was, West Indies desperately yearned for a Sibley and Stokes of their own.

Holder fought valiantly for his 35, smashing Dom Bess for a boundary and maximum in the 63rd over. But Bess bounced back by exploiting the rough on the deck, that spun between the massive gap due to Holder lunging forward, crashing on to the stumps. Bess also claimed the final wicket to deliver a clinical win by 113 runs.

West Indies’ weakness that was inevitably going to come out at least once during the leg perhaps gatecrashed at a wrong time. Though no time is right, it erupted when all the odds worked for them and the West Indies needed to dig in only a little bit more to be sure of taking home the Wisden Trophy. But they have the chance to regroup themselves and have another shot.

It’s worth mentioning and acclaiming the spirit of this English side and their single-minded desire to level the series by hook or by crook. England found themselves in the same position in the South African tour, needing them to bounce back from a lacklustre batting performance in the first Test.

The second fixture on that visit witnessed the birth of Dom Sibley and he reaffirmed his credentials with a tailormade Test match hundred in the first innings in Manchester, his second in eight Tests.

And how could one forget the immeasurable brilliance of Stokes and his ability to drag the team along with him? He may have had a tough start as a captain, but he comes off as nothing less than a leader when playing under Root.

Perhaps his performance in Manchester can comfortably be equated to the Headingley heist. And finally, the ageless Broad, who has achieved all that he needs to. Yet, he continues to fight for his place and showcases performances that make him undroppable.

With the series locked at 1-1, heading to the Old Trafford again, it’s deemed for an exciting finish, one would hope. England currently hold the momentum of their side, but Jason Holder’s West Indies is a surprise package that can stun the best.

It’s no longer about the Wisden Trophy alone, but also about reinstating the belief that their resurgence is a long-term one and not ephemeral.