Indians run into Gayle force

The Jamaican sun stepping in to clear the clouds at the last minute, Team India today jogged into the Sabina Park to play their first ever one-day International at this historic stadium — and promptly ran into home hero Chris Gayle.

The Jamaican sun stepping in to clear the clouds at the last minute, Team India today jogged into the Sabina Park to play their first ever one-day International at this historic stadium — and promptly ran into home hero Chris Gayle.

Exploiting the obvious stiffness in the Indian pace attack during the first one-dayer here — after a week under the sun, in the pool and at the nets — the 26-year-old left-hander needed just a few flashes of the bat to show why he best represents this party capital of rum and reggae.

Sometimes bald, then in dreadlocks, and always with that flashing bat, Gayle has been one of the most fascinating stories to have come out from the Caribbean over the recent years. He even underwent a surgery in Melbourne last November to correct his “irregular heartbeat”.

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Initially labelled as a bit of a maverick, even a rebel at times, he has metamorphosed over the last year to become, as he puts it, a “responsible member of the team”. Proof? Don’t go by his one-day average of 37 or the Test number of 39. Simply rewind to May 2005 and that stupendous 371 against South Africa in the Antigua Test.

Credit, according to Gayle, goes to none other than Sir Gary Sobers who worked with Gayle on his technique, footwork and temperament last year. The new Gayle, as the Jamaican himself puts it, is this: “It’s not all the time you’re going to see Chris Gayle go out there and blast, blast, blast for a quick 20. That won’t do the team any good… You have to work out the situation out there and adapt to it.”

Well, he did adapt to the situation today — and how. With the Indians shrugging to shake off the Caribbean blues and the ball coming nice and easy on to the bat, Gayle first took Pathan apart, then gave a dose or two to Munaf Patel. And before you could blink an eye, he had topped 50 (46 balls) and rushing towards the next.

Smooth drives on the up, forcing shots off the backfoot, that leg glance, a silky cut off Agarkar and even a rare reverse sweep off Harbhajan: you name it and Gayle rolled them out to loud cheers from the Caribbean fan wagon that struggled to keep up with the imposing Indian caravan at the Sabina Park.

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Presented with such a challenge, and virtually no match practice to bank on, Irfan Pathan was the first to wilt — he was taken off after three overs went for 15 runs. Munaf stuck on gamely, struggling though to get that right length, and RP Singh just about got it going but without much bite.

Ajit Agarkar and Harbhajan Singh then stepped in to plug the breach with a couple of wickets in four overs — Ramnaresh Sarwan for two was a bonus — but then there was Gayle.

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