Kumble and Dravid take India back to heady 1971 days !!

I have hardly seen any Indian win in the last decade or so, where Kumble had not delivered (Perhaps, the Adelaide win against Aussies when Agarkar took a fifer is one exception). The last time when India played a test in Jamaica, I remember the bandaged figure of Kumble coming bravely to bowl (and take Lara’s wicket too); this time around, he delivered the knock out punch (in spite of the Brian Jerlings negativity, where he said no to half a dozen clear LBW shouts), with a fine 6 wicket haul and sealed a 1-0 win over West Indies, with more than 2 days to spare.

On a pitch which had some juice for the bowlers, Indian batsman sans Dravid and Kumble failed miserably in the 1^st innings. It all started with Sarvan bringing off a blinder of Viru’s firm flick at short leg and it was uphill from there for India. A score of 200 was way below par and Taylor had to be complimented for the fifer. He ran in hard and kept the pressure on Indians. I felt that Dravid should have accelerated a bit more but that is the way he plays and his contribution was way too valuable considering the lack of application and form from his other colleagues.

Srisanth, who had been getting collared by Gayle, produced a beauty of an indipper that cleaned the off stump of Gayle and the flood started. Ganga resisted a bit but Bhajji bowled with some venom and West Indies were done in for almost half the score of India

Bhajji must have wondered at the what an irony this game is – he bagged a fifer with hardly an effort and within 5 overs, it was all over.

Indian start at the 2^nd innings was as bad as the first and the middle order was fared even worser than the first. Yuvaraj was hopelessly out of form, Laxman got to double figures in both but caved in with hopeless pushes outside the off and Kaif was short of international class. Dhoni hung in for a a while but he got a beauty from Collymore that hardly climbed an in inch off the pitch.

Srisanth repeated his 1^st innings feat again of removing Gayle early. For once, the slip cordon held a decent catch and when Munaf had Lara out plumb, it looked like that it is going to be a walk in the park but Bravo and Sharvan had other ideas. Bhajji was collared for easy runs in this phase and even Kumble was slightly ineffective but having said, this is the phase when Jerling did his usual contributions of not giving plumb decisions. Kumble relies on fast indipper or the straight ones but when such decisions are given not out, India has little by way ammunition to pick up wickets. Srisanth came back again to take an important wicket of Sharwan but even then it was not over. Ramdin played with a ‘ can do ‘ attitude an stroked his way to a beautifully complied 50 in the company of Taylor and then Collins. With close of play approaching on 3^rd day, it looked like West Indies will live to fight another day (with 50 needed exactly) but Kumble pushed one hard and fast and Collins fell and a ball later Collymore’s edge was taken well by Dhoni, setting off an Indian celebration.

It had been a long wait from 1971 Wadekar days for India. India came so close so many times (and with their spin only bowling, it was felt that they can not win outside Queens Park oval, Port of Spain) but Kumble proved them all wrong.

The positives for India – Jaffer seems to have cemented his place, Srisanth and Munaf are getting there. Dhoni’s keeping has got better and better as the series progressed. Also, India showed a new found attitude – climbing from the ditch when confronted.

Areas where improvement is a must : - Close catching- slips and shortleg (is Jaffer the solution for 2^nd and 3^rd slip?) , middle order bats in place of Yuvaraj and even Kaif (in spite of a 100 in the series). Laxman needs to be more consistent and India should find a 3^rd seamer.