Steve Waugh said they were an improving team, but never did he expect West Indies to fully justify his assessment only a few days later by recording one of the most astonishing results in Test cricket history.
Waugh was speaking shortly after Australia crushed West Indies by nine wickets for their third straight Test win of the series at the Kensington Oval, Barbados and who seemed set to inflict the first ever home whitewash on the regional side.
A victory over Australia these days in any form of the game is a huge accomplishment for any of the world’s other competing countries, but to set a world record at the expense of the undisputed champions of international cricket for the last eight years in the process, is a dream come through, especially for a side as unaccomplished as the one picked to contest the Frank Worrell trophy for the ex- champs.
Before West Indies began the series a month ago, they were not even among the second tier of countries in Test competition, over whom Australia stand heads and shoulders above.
They were a team that had lost eight of their last 10 overseas series, with only minnows Zimbabwe and Bangladesh not being good to extend West Indies’ losing sequence.
Thus they were there for the taking and Waugh’s men were primed to add to the homesters’ list of ignominious statistics by becoming the first nation to whitewash West Indies in their own backyard.
When they bludgeoned the homesters in the first three Tests, the whitewash seemed academic and Australia may have even relaxed a little bit going into the Antigua Test, but by the time they awoke from the slight lapse, it was too late.
It is said that cricket like so many other sports disciplines, is influenced by destiny and even with Lara being in charge of West Indies, it should not have escaped notice that the Antigua Recreation ground has been hosts to two world records by West Indians comprising Lara’s Test best 375 and Sir Vivian Richards’ 50-ball fastest Test century.
Thus, it came to pass that a third world record was posted for West Indies at the charmed venue through a splendid all-round effort in all departments of the game by batsmen, bowlers and fielders. The bowlers led by Jermaine Lawson, Merv Dillon and Omari Banks had setup the victory platform leaving the batsmen to finish the job and they did not disappoint.
Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Darren Ganga, had already touched form and it was only a matter of time before other key batsmen like Ramnaresh Sarwan and Banks clicked.
Sarwan, not having played any cricket for a number of weeks since the World Cup due to his finger injury, needed two Tests to get back into his best batting form which is always a delight to behold.
As a result he left the best for last with an innings he described as the best he ever played. At present there is hardly a more exciting 22-year-old batting talent in world cricket than the diminutive Guyanese whose breathtaking aggressive approach which yielded 105 runs against the strongest attack in the world, could only have been realized through his youthful courage.
Similarly Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who most cricket followers know as a dogged determined lefthander, but one who proved a long time ago, he can be as lethal as any other in the contemporary game, when he wants to, proved to the world that mind over matter is one of the best proven truisms in life.
His swashbuckling 104 was testimony to his calibre as a player who can adapt to situation requirements and one with tons of courage. The way he batted no one would have imagined Chanderpaul was thumping the Australians all around the Recreation ground with a broken middle finger.
The display was testimony to the notion that the best form of defence is attack and it surely worked, making an interesting picture of the seemingly invincible Aussie bowlers being beaten off their length and reduced to rubble at times.
One of the finer qualities of great sports performances is courage and it was enlightening to see it being displayed in such quantity by Sarwan and Chanderpaul and moreso Omari Banks whose two-hour plus innings was stuff champions are made off.
Not many 20-year-olds have the strength to endure, much less overcome the type of pressure Australia exerts through their playing ability and psychological warfare sledging .
For all of their lapses during this series and previously, the West Indies selectors got it right with Banks whose credentials were not earth shaking before his selection and who would have been replaced by many after the flogging his off-spin took in Barbados.
Sir Vivian Richards, captain Lara , Joey Carew and Gordon Greenidge must be commended for contributing to this world record Test win by selecting and persevering with Banks and to a lesser extent Devon Smith.
By now the celebrations should be tailing off as fans prepare for the one-day series which started yesterday in Jamaica, many who are sure to be carried away by the Antigua victory and expect West Indies to defeat the World Cup champions.
One Test match victory though, even if it broke a world record in the process, cannot make West Indies champions overnight. One must not forget that the Test series ended 3-1 in Australia’s favour in West Indies backyard. Also it must be noted that the visitors lost a dead -rubber game after the series was already won and that the last one between the two teams in the Caribbean ended in a 2-2 draw. Most importantly this series was the tail-end of a grueling six-month grind for the Australians from August that included two Test series and four one-day competitions including the World Cup. If many of the players were not worn out, nothing else will tire them.
Thus, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) will do well to take into consideration the need for the team to have a full time physical trainer to improve the players’ fitness and better prepare them for serious competition and avert the many injuries that plague them especially the fast bowlers. Fielding, batting and bowling coaches are also requirements needed for the team to approach the type of success Australia are currently enjoying.
Many sportsmen are discovering that maintaining success is more difficult than attaining it. Likewise in defeating Australia in one game, West Indies could find itself in a similar position if they allow themselves to get carried away.