Windies rock and roll over Indians

“Hey man, listen, listen,” they cried, these passionate men and women, pounding hard on the advertising board, casting unutterable aspersions on the batting skills of Gangs and Co, seeking to squash all hopes the Indian contingent may harbour of emulating Hinds when their turn at the crease comes by. “We know your batsmen, we know them well, we know they can only bat in Antigua. What’s your name, man? Dravid?”

After 10 minutes of strained nonchalance, Jaffer swivelled around in nose-in-the-air defiance, putting his foot on the fence to retie a well-bowed shoelace. They appreciate aggression here in Jamaica, and they melted in two seconds: “Okay, okay, listen, Wasim, you can bat.” Smiles all around, but wagers were being struck with an abandon that would cause a more than a few flutters among cricket officials back home in India. “We will get 550 by tea, then we’ll declare, and pick up two wickets by end of play today,” said a taxi driver at the start of the second day’s play, regretting he’ll spend all of Sunday ferrying spectators to and from Sabina Park.

For just a few minutes the Indian attack seemed to be rewriting the narrative. In the sixth over Javagal Srinath, visibly tiring from the effort of being India’s shock and stock bowler, bowled a vicious throater and followed it up by pocketing the most treasured scalp these series. Of Carl Hooper, who had already got what is now his customary second lease of life each innings — when SS Das dropped him most inexcusably after he had just strolled into double digits.

The Windies skipper attempted to back out of an intended pull shot too late and scooped it high in the air. It was the keeper’s catch, first slip Rahul Dravid was nearby… an eternity later, the latter emerged with the red cherry secure in his hands. Another eternity, and King Carl finally accepted that he had to walk off content with just 17 runs, his lowest score so far in this dream tour. That was it, that was the end of the Indian interlude, as Ridley Jacobs joined the slow, sure and steady Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the middle. It is been a runs feast. Ask Srinath. Ask him about a nightmare of an over just a few minutes later, as Jacobs took him to the cleaners, piling up 19 runs. Not that anyone in the Indian camp seemed to be keeping count, the air was suddenly too thick with anticipations of yet another Srinath-Ganguly clash.

That is the problem. Anxiety is in the air, and the Windies batsmen and this capacity crowd alike can sense it. ‘Psychological edge’ is a phrase Hooper never fails to employ in his pre- and post-play ruminations. Droopy Indian shoulders, languid strides between overs, hints of bickering, listless fielding, lethargic stretching routines that hint at a struggle against dejection… all this can but gladden the Windies skip’s heart. The Indian team has just acquired a trainer, perhaps a professional morale booster too is required. Having said that, one cannot underplay the exploits of the hosts. They have overcome their opening problems, Sarwan is keeping good his promise of a half-century (no more, no less!) every innings, Jacobs is prospering — as are Hooper and Chanderpaul.

It’s the India bats who have to negotiate the obstacle course now.