IT is a measure of how the West Indies are now generally regarded when Darren Sammy has to respond to a question of whether they are daunted by India, their next opponents in a crucial World Cup match at the WACA in Perth on Friday.
Sammy, whose realistic take on cricket matters seems to have made him the team’s main spokesman, was straightforward.
“We go out on the cricket field looking to win matches,” he said. They would do the same against India which, he acknowledged, is “a good team” but, like all the others, not unbeatable.
Instead, the West Indies would focus on what they can do best, not on what India can do. It was left unspoken but the old line that anything can happen on the day lingered in the background.
A glance at the recent ODI history between the teams underscores Sammy’s flickering optimism.
They have met in eight such matches over the past two years. They split the two in the triangular Celkon Cup in the Caribbean in June 2013; India prevailed 2-1 in India later in the year and, once more, 2-1 in the three completed before the West Indies team so controversially abandoned their tour last October.
So, on that count, it’s 5-3 to India, not usually a record to be daunted by.
The scenario is changed by their greatly contrasting fortunes so far in the tournament. While well balanced, well led India have run consistently hot, the West Indies have varied between hot, lukewarm and frigid.
India take the field Friday buoyed by an unbeaten 3-0 record; always dangerous neighbours Pakistan, powerful South Africa and the associate lightweights United Arab Emirates have been thoroughly thrashed.
The West Indies are 2-2, losses to Ireland, the strongest of the associates, and South Africa (by 237 runs, equalling Bermuda’s record as the heaviest defeat in any World Cup) came either side of comprehensive wins over Pakistan and Zimbabwe.
The absence of Sunil Narine, the injury that eliminated Darren Bravo, the appointed No.3 in the order, and the continuing bassa-bassa over the omission of Dwayne Bravo and Keiron Pollard are factors that diminish the West Indies.
These appear insurmountable handicaps but, as the ever positive Sammy has it, anything is possible on the day. The trick is to have his teammates buy into the same mindset.
