India vs West Indies: Battle of unequals?
The West Indies face a huge task as they face off against India, a team that has now put it's shame to rest.
- Shubhodeep Chakravarty
- Updated: November 03, 2011 10:38 PM IST
The West Indies face a huge task as they face off against India, a team that has now put it's shame to rest.
For starters, the hosts have managed to silence the demons that hunted in packs on English tracks to wreck MS Dhoni and his side. India managed to raise it's own set of demon slayers who silenced England at home and have now tasted blood. Expect some like Ajinkya Rahane and Varun Aaron to run circles around the opposition, regardless of whether their skipper puts them into bowl or bat.
Then there are the seasoned campaigners who grace the team with their return. From Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh to Ishant Sharma; the Indian team now looks like how it did before the infamous tour of England in August. Of course, these players have to show, still, that recovery has not rusted their ability to play and win matches.
And while we are on the topic of players making a comeback, let's not sideline a spinner who can be a match-winner on his day. Pragyan Ojha has been in and out of the national side but has hardly lost the ability to leave batsmen perplexed. The West Indies have not seen a whole lot of him and on tracks in the sub-continent, the skill can turn into a perfect recipe with which India can force issues.
Having mentioned all this, West Indies (personally) cannot be discounted completely. Players like Devendra Bishoo can match up to their Indian counterparts ball-by-ball. The team also has the relatively successful tour of Bangladesh to bank on. True, Bangladesh is not India but Darren Sammy's side will have no problems adjusting to Indian conditions, coming as they are from just across the border.
It therefore promises to be a contest that has the making of more excitement than the most ardent of cricket lovers would expect from it.