The rain had the final say on the last day of the West Indies-India second Test, completely washing out proceedings and preventing even a single ball from being bowled. The Test thus ended as a draw, leaving India as the most deserving 1-0 victors of the two-match series. A series that demonstrated with crystal-like clarity the now indisputable need for the West Indies Test squad to be restructured.
In all fairness, it must be said, however, that the West Indies, albeit their batsmen more so than the bowlers, were far more competitive in the second Test than they had been at any stage of the first. In the second Test’s first innings, the top-order batsmen had posted 178 by the time the fourth wicket fell. In the second innings, chasing a victory target of 365, they were at 76-2 at the penultimate day’s close of play and with an outside chance of scoring the remaining 289 runs required for what would have been a most remarkable come from behind victory. As it was, as previously mentioned, persistent final-day rain prevented any further play.
What had by then become pellucidly clear, however, is the enormity of the existing gap between the disciplined performances of India’s Test cricketers as the format’s second-ranked team and those of the West Indies at number eight. As wide as the Caribbean Sea would be a most apt description!
If the West Indies are going to harbor hopes of making any meaningful upward progress through the ICC’s rankings during the current 2023-25 two-year championship cycle, an entire restructuring of its Test squad will now be required. There were, however, some sources of encouragement in terms of both the batting and bowling by the conclusion of the India series that can now be used as a foundation for the required restructuring.
The double whammy good news is that firstly, the India series has served to identify two exciting new prodigies around which the batting can be rebuilt. Secondly, the West Indies’ next scheduled Test engagement won’t be until early in the 2024 New Year when they will be visiting the current world champions Australia. More than sufficient time to identify, assemble, and subject to highly disciplined fitness and training, a bowling unit that will stand at least a half-decent chance of capturing the twenty Aussie wickets that will be necessary for victory in any of the scheduled Tests!
Alick Athanaze and Kirk McKenzie, both still in their early twenties, made their respective debuts during the India series. Athanaze in the first Test and McKenzie during the second. Their respective scores were 47, 28, and 37 for the twenty-four-year-old Athanaze , while the even younger twenty-two-year-old McKenzie scored 32 in his very first innings but fell for a fourth ball duck in his second.
Of course, in the overall context of accepted Test match batting standards under which anything short of 40 is considered to be sub-par, except for Athanaze’s debut 47, none of their remaining scores would be regarded as anything overly special. While their posted scores might not have been extraordinary the way they were compiled by both youngsters certainly was.
In their respective short stays at the crease, they both very much looked the part of accomplished Test match batsmen. Completely at home and not the least overawed by the occasion. So much so that it can now be safely argued that in Messrs. Athanaze and McKenzie, the West Indies have finally identified two young, very exciting, Test batsmen that will hopefully, both prove themselves to be well worth watching.
The West Indies opening pair of captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul posted partnerships of 31, 8, 71, and 38 in the four innings they batted together during the India series. Together they present a solid, sufficiently reliable, opening pair.
Their rotation of strike and far too often pedestrian scoring rates are both areas for required improvement, but in Chanderpaul’s case that should come with time as he plays more matches and grows in confidence. He has now still played only 8 Tests and with a double-century and a 40+ average beside his name, he’s already done far better than most of the countless other opening partners for Brathwaite that the West Indies have tried in recent years!
Chanderpaul, McKenzie, and Athanaze are all young and exciting enough to be given as long a run as possible to establish themselves as the core of a future formidable West Indies Tests batting unit. Brathwaite himself has remained reliably consistent, so those four can be built around.
It is, however, positions four, six, and seven in the West Indies top-order batting currently occupied by Jermaine Blackwood, the wicket-keeper Joshua DaSilva, and the all-rounder, former captain Jason Holder, which should now seriously be reconsidered. And the necessary tough decisions made as to whether they should be continued with or discarded altogether.
Of the three Blackwood unquestionably presents the biggest conundrum. Now aged 31, he’s already played 56 Tests. His 102 innings batted have produced 2898 runs at an average of 30.18. To date, he has also scored 3 Test centuries and 18 half-centuries.
How much longer should the West Indies persist with a number four batsman who in 102 innings has only produced three centuries and eighteen fifties? On average that is only a half-century almost once every five innings.
Interestingly enough, Blackwood has so far played 5 matches and batted 9 times in Tests hosted by Australia, the venue for the West Indies’ next assignment. Those 9 innings have only produced 121 runs at an average of 13.44, with 36 as his highest score. Arguably far from sufficient to warrant him his seat on the flight to Down Under.
Joshua DaSilva’s 24 Tests played to date have so far been punctuated by 41 innings from which he has scored 882 runs at an average of 25.94. He has just 1 century and 3 half-centuries to his name thus far.
As the incumbent wicket-keeper batsman Da Silva’s 25.94 average isn’t that bad overall. Jeffrey Dujon, considered by most to be the West Indies’ very best wicket-keeper-bat within the past thirty years, only averaged 31-94 by the time he had played the last of his 81 Tests.
Just 25 years of age DaSilva is still noticeably young and as the wicket-keeper, he has more than earned his keep through his performances behind the stumps. He now obviously needs to do some remedial work on his batting, however! His highest score since his maiden Test century against England in Grenada last year March has been 44, and his last fifteen innings have included no less than twelve below-twenty scores. Some serious daily hours in the nets, hitting thousands of balls between now and next January should be the order of the day for Josh DaSilva.
Once ranked the Test cricket’s absolute best all-rounder, Jason Holder’s bowling has maintained its high-performance consistency, but his batting has deteriorated terribly in recent years. Holder now averages 29.44 from the 114 innings he has batted in his 64 Tests. 3 centuries and 12 half-centuries are all that he has to show so far for his most obvious batting talents. Holder’s last 25 Test innings have only produced a single half-century, the 81 he scored against South Africa this past July. Another one who obviously needs to do some remedial work on his Test match batting.
The required remedial work by some of the West Indies top order batting as well as the complete jettisoning of at least one other, will undoubtedly be on the minds of the Selectors between now and January. A much more compelling question, however, will be the composition of the bowling unit that will travel to Australia with hopes of capturing twenty wickets in each of the scheduled Tests.
Australian pitches generally offer pace and bounce, so a seam-dominant attack should be the order of the day. Five or six pacers, including at least two or three who are genuinely quick, accompanied by just a couple of spinners.
Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales, Jason Holder, Oshane Thomas, Jair McAllister, Akeem Jordan, and Dominic Drakes, should be the seamers in line for consideration with a huge question mark over Kemar Roach’s inclusion. Gudakesh Motie and Kevin Sinclair should be the two spinners.
There are now still six months to go before the 2024 Aussie Test series gets underway. Between now and then there will reportedly be an A-Team tour to South Africa and of course the Regional Super50 tournament. Many opportunities, therefore, for the Selectors to identify the very best, restructured fifteen-member squad for the flight Down Under!