WI WALLOPED BY WALLABIES
The final ODI between WI and Australia went—predictably, some might say—to the Aussies. Victory by 6 wickets with almost 20 overs to spare definitely ended the tour sweetly for the visitors. For my part, they initially lost the game with the team selection. Keeping a largely ineffective and inconsistent Cottrell and omitting a viable bowling option in Mohammed was puzzling at best. The match was effectively over as a contest before the halfway point of the WI innings. By then the score was 75-6, Lewis was about to resume his innings, and it left only the bowlers with him. Unlike in game 2, there was no lower-order rally this time. An unbeaten 55 from Lewis was not enough and the WI could only muster 152 in 45 overs.
LESSONS IGNORED
World-class teams have the ability to learn from the mistakes they make and adapt accordingly. This has always been one hallmark of any Australian cricket team. For the Men in Maroon, however, not so much. The previous game, played on the same wicket, saw both teams struggle mightily with the bat. It took an exceptional rear-guard effort from the Aussies and true grit from WI to make it competitive. That being said, the WI batters clearly did not remember how challenging it was to play shots. The first 6 wickets fell to shots that were either mistimed, poorly chosen, or in Pooran’s case, not offered. Pollard must be a very disgruntled captain indeed. His own dismissal was disappointing, but those of Bravo, Holder, and Pooran will give him nightmares.
BAD DECISIONS BITE WI
The bowling attack for this game was never going to defend such a low total. Hosein did his utmost best, snaring Henriques in just the third over. Phillipe’s dismissal off Joseph in the 8th opened the door for the WI, but Alex Carey had other ideas. The stand-in Aussie skipper rallied with first Marsh then Wade in partnerships of 38 and 34. Even his eventual dismissal to Walsh Jr. did not halt the Aussie charge. Wade found a reliable partner in Ashton Agar and their unbroken 54 run stand ensured Mathilda went a-waltzing home. The sight of Pollard bowling spin and an attempt at an over from Pooran further highlighted Mohammed’s absence. The Aussies simply saw out Hosein and attacked the other bowlers. If Cottrell’s 3 overs for 34 doesn’t tell management that a better strike option is needed, nothing will.
SERIES – AND CHANCES – LOST
The WI had all the momentum going into this series. 30 ranking points on the ICC ODI charts were there for the taking. Back-to-back series victories over the Aussies beckoned. Then, the WI decided they wanted to play Monopoly instead of cricket. As luck would have it, they kept drawing Chance cards saying, “Go back 3 spaces”. Maybe it’s just been too long since they were consistently winning. Perhaps this current generation of players doesn’t measure success in terms of victories and losses. Whatever the reason, WI have lost the edge and killer instinct needed to return to the top of the cricketing pyramid. No WI batter scored over 70 runs in total this series. Walsh Jr’s 7 wickets led all bowlers for the home team. I’m no qualified coach, but there is a lot of work to be done in both areas to me.
WHERE TO NOW?
The Men in Maroon face their counterparts from Pakistan starting on July 28. 4 T20’s and 3 Tests spread over 3 different venues will present their own challenges. The lack of ODI games in this series gives Management time to reflect, reassess and retool their plans. WI have not won the ODI World Cup since 1979 and haven’t gotten to the final since 1983. It is long past time CWI gets things right to bring home that trophy to the Caribbean. Is it a challenging task? Of course. But is it impossibly insurmountable as a challenge? Certainly not. The ingredients are there. Now, the powers that be must make the tough calls and hard choices. After all, isn’t that why we elect them to office?
