Calypso back, with a bounce

There was a lot of bounce all around here yesterday. The ball jumped and reared till late in the opening World Cup match at the Sabina Park.

There was a lot of bounce all around here yesterday. The ball jumped and reared till late in the opening World Cup match at the Sabina Park. Brian Lara8217;s men showed that rare trait of bouncibility. The jam-packed stadium vibrated at the fall every Pakistan wicket during the hosts8217; 54 runs win. And every where around the West Indies, the depression that one saw after the home team8217;s humiliating loss to India in the warm up game lifted as the fans rediscovered a spring in their feet.

Such was the magnitude of this overwhelming 8216;bounce8217; that a few myths lay shattered by the end of the first game. The pitches that were supposed to be slow and low have enough juice in them and are obliging to those who are ready to bend their backs. The teams from the sub-continent who were planning to pack their playing XI with part-time spinners and a few specialists might have to rework their strategy. And the high on adrenalin atmosphere at the stands doesn8217;t always mean pressure on the home team but it can also prove to an inspirational surrounding.

Lara himself was surprised by the way in which the pitch had behaved, though he gave a conspiratorial smile when he was asked the reason of not using his part-time spinner Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels. 8220;There was no need for that, they were no quite able to handle the pacers. But I will say that this is the best Sabina Park pitch I was played on,8221; he said. And very soon he was to speak about the other 8216;best8217; thing that he had seen at he same venue 8212; the crowd.

Lara said that there was certainly some pressure on his players when the game started in front of a capacity crowd because of the high expectations and their fragile fuse. 8220;Initially it was tough for the batsmen. The big occasion saw some early nerves but it is always better when one is on the field bowling,8221; he said.

And that was when the match turned as the West Indies showed great bouncibility on a pitch that didn8217;t go for an afternoon siesta. With the bowlers running in fast, hitting the deck in the 135 kmph to 142 kmph range and the crowd getting involved; Pakistan had their backs to the wall. But unlike the West Indian batsman, who banked more on panache, the bowlers stuck to percentage play. This happens to be another feature of this new-look West Indian bowling department8212;there is no showmanship but a disciplined workmanlike performance. Commenting on this Lara said, 8220;Yes there is conscious decision on our part to focus on the line and length as that is the strength on our bowlers.8221;

Specifically commenting on the individual bowlers he added, 8220;Daren Powell and Dwayne Smith did a fine job bowling their quota straight while the experience of Jerome Taylor and Corey Colleymore from the other end was important. It was one of the positives for us.8221; Though he missed the name of his proteacute;geacute; Dwayne Bravo here but he was the life of the big party. He might not be the man of the match but he was come to symbolize Lara8217;s merry men. He took a few late order wickets but two breathtaking catches and that football strikers8217; 8216;catch me if you can8217; celebrations had the crowd chanting 8216;Bravo, Bravo8217;.

His vigorous arm-wheeling after the catch, high fives in the air and that mad run towards the stands after taking a wicket are the kinds of things that make people talk about the camaraderie in the team and the overwhelming team spirit. As was expected Lara got a question where he was asked if this was the most-likeable bunch he has been with. But the skipper has been around for long to fall in this over-optimistic trap.

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8220;We are not going to get carried away. We know what we have on hand, we will play each game at a time. We are just going to blossom,8221; he said. He just wanted to celebrate the 8216;bounce8217; around Sabina Park that saw a spring in everyone8217;s feet. The conclusive evidence of this phenomenon came as one saw Sir Vivian Richards running down the staircase leading down the VIP area asking everyone to 8216;jump with joy8217; as the Calypso was back.