Batsmen bury bowlers alive on it, as the 56 centuries in 29 Tests would suggest. The pitch has been so lifeless over the years that bowlers, whether fast or slow, have had a torrid time trying to raise it from the ‘dead’.

But the West Indies found a mortician yesterday as the Prodigal Son of regional cricket, Vasbert Drakes, made a satisfying homecoming by means of career-best bowling figures of five for 93 off 26.1 overs.

Drakes, playing his first Test in the Caribbean on his comeback to international cricket, which started last September in the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka after a seven-year absence, conceded he had a point to prove.

“Obviously, coming back and playing Test cricket at 33 years old, the pressure is always going to be on me to perform because the critics out there when you are over the hills of 30, consider you to be winding down in your career,” Drakes told reporters at the end of the day’s play.

The Barbadian said he relished playing against the mighty Australians who have dominated world cricket in the past five years.

“I always wanted to play against Australia. I think any good cricketer, or who wants to prove himself in international cricket, Australia is the side to prove it against,” reasoned Drakes.

“I think playing against any Australian, you basically got to back yourself and if you have a bit of ability and you use a bit of commonsense, (Ricky) Ponting and (Justin) Langer, they are going to come at the ball hard, so you have to have a basic game plan and obviously execute it as well.

“But the most important thing is backing yourself and trusting your ability to bowl well against those guys,” Drakes contended.

Drakes was rewarded for his excellent bowling by captain Brian Lara, who gave him the second new ball in preference to Mervyn Dillon and Pedro Collins.

Even though he repaid the faith shown in him, by accounting for the obdurate Langer with a peach of a delivery, which the left-hander edged to the wicketkeeper, Drakes said it was also part of the team plan.

“We sit down and discuss various players and who is going to bowl the new ball when certain batters are at the crease … you needed someone to bowl a decent spell and fortunately, I was in a situation where the captain gave me the new ball,” Drakes said.

It was the first time a bowler had taken a five-wicket innings haul at the ground since 1991 and only the 20th time it has been achieved in 28 Tests here but Drakes said the Bourda strip calls for sensible bowling.

“I don’t think it is a wicket (pitch) that bowlers would dream about playing on. Actually, it is one of those wickets where playing against the Australians, they always are going to come at you pretty hard, so you must bowl in the areas where you can contain them, and create some sort of pressure,” Drakes reckoned.

Drakes said the team spirit and morale in the West Indies side is high despite the current situation of the game.

“Despite what a lot of people had to say, the guys are very confident and are trying to feed off each other and give as much support as possible and that’s a very good sign,” Drakes remarked.