Upbeat India look to assert supremacy over inexperienced West Indies
31 July 2016 4:50 AM IST
The ‘Men In Blue’ made a confident start to the 2016-17 season, recording India’s biggest win outside the sub-continent when they thrashed the hosts by an innings and 92 runs in the opening cricket Test.
India will look to continue in the same vein in the tour, which is Anil Kumble’s debut series as chief coach of the team.
But it would be easier said than done as a green pitch awaits the visitors at Sabina Parka, a stark contrast to the conditions on offer in Antigua, where the visitors had won the match in four days.
Going by past records, it was way back in 2008 when a Test lasted five days at Sabina Park which Australia won by 98 runs. Since then, five Tests have taken place here and all of them have finished within four days, including India’s 63-run win in 2011.
West Indies’ last Test here was against Australia in the summer of 2015, and that match finished past lunch on the fourth day.
Given the very evident gulf between the two teams at present, the grassy wicket should expedite matters in this forthcoming match as well. While it is tough to say which team will be happier to see the green pitch, the hosts will surely feel that the equation will perhaps be more balanced.
The big win in Antigua doesn’t mean India will be complacent going into the second Test. The big difference in conditions on offer will obviously hinder any such thoughts, as will the fact that there are still three more Tests to go on this tour and their job has only just begun. While India will find comfort in a settled line-up, there are some obvious points to ponder over like fitness of opener Murali Vijay.
Uncertainty lies over Vijay’s availability in the second Test as still there is no confirmation on where he is fit enough to play or not. The opener has been missing action since being hit on his thumb by Shannon Gabriel on the first morning of the series, and didn’t field for a single minute in the West Indies’ two innings last week.
In the lead-up to the upcoming Test, Vijay batted a bit in the nets on Wednesday but skipped the optional practice session on Thursday. But the question remains, whether the team management would be willing to risk playing Vijay when they have another opener available in KL Rahul, who scored runs in the practice games ahead of the Test series.
The other issue is about the team combination, and whether skipper Virat Kohli will opt for a five bowler attack once again.
I’m not too worried about my form, says Pujara
India’s middle-order mainstay Cheteshwar Pujara scored his last half-century six innings ago but the Saurashtra batsman is “not too worried” about his own form, saying he is happy as long as he is contributing in the team’s success.
Pujara was dismissed for just 16 during India’s only innings in the first Test against West Indies at Antigua. “No I am not worried. Overall I have been batting well. Even in the South Africa series, there have been good scores and some good batting on challenging wickets. So at times you have to be realistic and see the contribution without seeing whether I am getting hundreds or big double hundreds. It’s always about contributing to the team’s success,” Pujara said.
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