PORT OF SPAIN: West Indies are missing Chris Gayle and it's just that the board - even though it understands the importance of having the Jamaican in the squad - is yet to come to terms with the issue on hand.
It is clear now that should the hosts have any chance of giving India a tough fight in this series, Gayle will have to be back in the squad, if not as skipper then as a player alone for he - the West Indies cricketers feel - has it in him to provide the necessary inspiration.
"Yeah, we miss Gayle," admitted Ramnaresh Sarwan after Monday's loss to India at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain.
Sarwan feels that the West Indian players have been trying to help each other and looking to improve. However, the team certainly requires an individual right now - desperately rather - to stick around and show them the way.
"We have not started the way we would have liked, against India," says Sarwan, not going into the little details of how the team's batting misfired on Monday.
The wicket played very slow and it wasn't easy for batsmen to get runs out there in testing temperatures. But the manner in which the top and middle-order - with the exception of Sarwan and Marlon Samuels - lost their wickets to rash strokes, was appalling.
Horrendously mistimed pull shots, going for lofted drives when the need of the hour was to stay put and save wickets, absolute lack of patience and no plan in place to build an innings, all cost West Indies the game. That India chased the target with just four wickets to spare was the result of some good bowling by leg-spinners Anthony Martin and Devendra Bishoo.
"It was pretty tough early up, but once we got set, it became a bit easy to bat," says Sarwan, talking about very hot and humid conditions.
"Marlon and I got the start, but we did not quite carry on. I was looking to get a much bigger score for the team and set a bigger target," he says.
Sarwan, the most experienced of the lot, is still trying to find his feet out there in the middle and admits his batting hasn't been upto his expectations yet.
"I'm still not my fluent self, but I will go back to the nets tomorrow. I have a few things I have to work on and be ready for the match on Wednesday. From here on I will be looking to improve even more and do better for the team," he says.
It is clear now that should the hosts have any chance of giving India a tough fight in this series, Gayle will have to be back in the squad, if not as skipper then as a player alone for he - the West Indies cricketers feel - has it in him to provide the necessary inspiration.
"Yeah, we miss Gayle," admitted Ramnaresh Sarwan after Monday's loss to India at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain.
Sarwan feels that the West Indian players have been trying to help each other and looking to improve. However, the team certainly requires an individual right now - desperately rather - to stick around and show them the way.
"We have not started the way we would have liked, against India," says Sarwan, not going into the little details of how the team's batting misfired on Monday.
The wicket played very slow and it wasn't easy for batsmen to get runs out there in testing temperatures. But the manner in which the top and middle-order - with the exception of Sarwan and Marlon Samuels - lost their wickets to rash strokes, was appalling.
Horrendously mistimed pull shots, going for lofted drives when the need of the hour was to stay put and save wickets, absolute lack of patience and no plan in place to build an innings, all cost West Indies the game. That India chased the target with just four wickets to spare was the result of some good bowling by leg-spinners Anthony Martin and Devendra Bishoo.
"It was pretty tough early up, but once we got set, it became a bit easy to bat," says Sarwan, talking about very hot and humid conditions.
"Marlon and I got the start, but we did not quite carry on. I was looking to get a much bigger score for the team and set a bigger target," he says.
Sarwan, the most experienced of the lot, is still trying to find his feet out there in the middle and admits his batting hasn't been upto his expectations yet.
"I'm still not my fluent self, but I will go back to the nets tomorrow. I have a few things I have to work on and be ready for the match on Wednesday. From here on I will be looking to improve even more and do better for the team," he says.
West Indies have to come up with something far better than what they did on Monday, if they have to give this young Indian side any trouble. It is also the need of the hour in the Caribbean for these men to get a grasp of the depleting situation.
"There's no humiliation if you go down fighting to a better team," say former cricketers here. "But learn from the mistakes and try not to repeat them."
TOI
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