Grading the West Indies in India: the first ODI

After the Test series ended 2-0 in favour of India with a nail-biting draw in the final game (I missed most of the fourth day and all of the final so I don’t think I was in a position to grade it), the West Indies took on the hosts in the first of five One-Day Internationals at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Although putting up a substandard score the visitors fought back in the field, so much that the Indians limped home with one wicket and seven balls to spare. The West Indian cause was not helped by some 23 extras, including a whopping 16 wides and four no-balls.

Lendl Simmons

Back on the sub-continent after missing the Tests the Trinidadian appeared set for another of his sheet-anchor innings that was the hallmark of his Bangladesh campaign before he inexplicably cut at a delivery that was too full and too straight.

Grade: C

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Adrian Barath

The diminutive opener looked in fine form, scoring his 17 from 13 balls with three fours, before he was undone by a beauty from Vinay Kumar.

Grade: C+

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Marlon Samuels

Like Simmons, he has fond memories of his last ODI series and also seemed ready to repeat his heroics of the Bangladesh tour. After posting 10 from 11 however he departed, bowled playing a most awkward shot. His bowling, although economical did not result in any wickets which were imperative for a WI win.

Grade C

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Darren Bravo

The stylish left-hander was definitely the best West Indian batsman on show. While Bravo was at the wicket the team always looked capable of amassing 250 at least. The fluency in his strokeplay, especially through the off-side, was very much evident – as it was in the Tests. His dismissal, bowled by a delivery that kept low, effectively turned the tide in favour of the fielding team.

Grade: B+

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Danza Hyatt

The stocky right-hander was supporting Bravo in a fourth wicket stand of 75, the best of the innings, before a dreadful breakdown in communication resulted in his run out. Until then he was playing his kind of innings, blocking the good balls and blasting the poor ones, and WI looked on course for a score well over 200.

Grade: B-

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Kieron Pollard

The big man continues to flatter and deceive. He had nearly half the overs to bat and, with the devastating hitting we know he is capable of, could have seen WI in the vicinity of 300. Instead, after 33 deliveries from which he scored 13, he manufactured another soft dismissal. He did manage to pick up a wicket but, given the context of the match, was a tad bit expensive. Maybe it’s time to end this experiment.

Grade: C

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Denesh Ramdin

His work behind the stumps was solid but watching him in front of them one could not help but wonder how he managed to chalk up eight first-class centuries.

Grade: C

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Darren Sammy

The captain looked at sea with the bat before being put out of his misery by a delivery he knew nothing about. His captaincy was steady as was his bowling, until the 49^th over when he bowled too short and wide, then overcompensated by bowling too full, allowing boundaries to the numbers 10 and 11.

Grade: C

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Andre Russell

The belligerent Russell is definitely batting two places below his station. He showed that he knows how to keep the scoreboard ticking with his 22 from 20. He was the team’s most economical bowler while claiming two wickets to help reduce India to 59 for five. His dismissal of Suresh Raina was a classic fast bowler’s MO. Having forced the little left-hander on the back foot with several short balls he pitched one up and the Indian, caught on the crease, could only lob the catch up to mid-off.

Grade: B+

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Kemar Roach

He played with a straight bat and level head to ensure WI batted all 50 overs. He also claimed the first three Indian wickets early giving WI the belief that they could actually defend their modest total. His three no-balls and five wides are unacceptable at this level of the game however.

Grade: B+

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Anthony Martin

The live-wire leg-spinner was not very effective today, being picked off easily by the India openers. He did however; make a key breakthrough in the closing stages when his dismissal of Rohit Sharma for 72 briefly revived WI’s hopes.

Grade: C

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