3 positives for West Indies despite Test loss against India
The second Test between the West Indies and India in Trinidad ended in a draw due to Day 5 being washed out. With a 1-0 Test series win, Team India was dominant throughout the series, while the hosts struggled to keep up. Rohit Sharma-led India clinched the first Test by a massive margin of an innings and 141 runs. The second Test was affected by rain, which came to the rescue for the West Indies, but India was on track to record a clean sweep.
Although the West Indies lost the Test series, they can take away some positives from the series, including the top-order’s resistance in the second Test, Kraigg Brathwaite’s resilience, and the competitive spirit displayed by the team.
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Alick Athanaze made his Test debut for West Indies in the first Test against India and left a strong impression on everyone with his excellent temperament. Despite the surface being difficult for Caribbean batters, Athanaze played sensibly and scored the highest for his team with a hard-fought 47 in his debut innings and 28 in the second innings. He also dismissed the Indian captain with his right-arm off-spin. Though still a part-time tweaker, Athanaze’s batting skills make him one to watch out for in the future.
The batting group displayed remarkable resilience during the second Test
In the second Test, the West Indies’ batting group showed great resistance against the Indian bowling attack, which was a stark contrast to their performance in the first Test. Despite the pitch in Trinidad being easy for batters, the West Indies put up a good fight and batted for 115.4 overs in their first innings. The top order, especially Kraigg Brathwaite, showed great resilience and forced the Indian bowlers to rethink their strategies. Although Mohammed Siraj’s five-wicket haul in the fourth innings ended their hopes of a comeback, the West Indies batting performance was a positive takeaway for them.
West Indies’ bowling impact on Indian top order during the first innings in Trinidad
Despite the Indian batters’ dominance across both Tests, the West Indies’ bowling attack made an impact against the Indian top-order in the first innings in Trinidad. After breaking the opening stand between Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal, the West Indies’ bowlers dominated the proceedings and offered their supporters something to cheer about. The Indian batters struggled to score runs, and the West Indies’ attack continued to put the halt to their innings by dismissing Shubman Gill and Ajinkya Rahane. Although this was the only moment in the Test where the Caribbean bowlers looked threatening, the West Indies’ impactful bowling was commendable.
