If the West Indies cricket team was not, as a unit, even with Shiv Chanderpaul's excellent efforts, embarrassed at what transpired at Lords for the first Test, then they cannot be embarrassed at all. The batting, in parts, was acceptable. The rest simply stunk, for any level of cricket.
Having lost 29 games of the 40-odd played in the last seven years, I would not hold my breath thinking that this recent defeat would make the West Indies any better, any stronger or any more reflective. Losing has become a fine art for the West Indies cricket team and one sometimes wonders if some of the players care at all. They were very sloppy overall in Test No. 1.
Some in the Caribbean are already suggesting "White-Wash," since it is normal that the West Indies play best in the first Test of a series, even if the team did win the seconnd Test in South Africa late last year.
Captain Brian Lara again dumbfounded all with his efforts on Day 1. Not for the first time (remember that South Africa made 600-plus runs in Test No 1 at the Wanderers in December last year after Lara had done the same thing), the captain seemed to be isolated in his own world. Having won the toss, he should have chosen to bat first, to accentuate the team's best asset. Even if the team had been dismissed for 250-300, it would have been worth the gamble. Gambling with a bowling attack, one with no leader, one that seemed to have no idea as to what it was supposed to do in the game, was just senseless.
Fidel Edwards, who arrived in the UK only a week or so before the Test, had 1-80-plus in the game preceding the Test, a game played against "opposition that we thought would have been stronger," to quote the team's captain. Yet he was selected for the Test. I doubt that Clive Lloyd would have selected anyone of his big fast bowlers with such poor preparation. In the meantime, Jermaine Lawson, who was the team's form bowler, was left on the sidelines for no apparent reason. The West Indies effectively bowled themselves out of the game when they conceded nearly 400 runs on Day 1. There could be no coming back from that, try as they might, on Day 2.
Pedro Collins bowled well and deserved all of his wickets, since he tried diligently to do the right thing, but Tino Best and Omari Banks were terribly disappointing. The event simply got to them. Best and Banks were poor at best and Best's aptitude for cricket seemed missing. The shot he played to get out when Chanderpaul was looking for a second century in the game should allow Best to be dropped for the rest of the series. No-one who seems to lack the basic skills of thought should play Test cricket.
The most depressing thing about the Lords Test match was not that the West Indies lost, but that they do not seem to understand and appreciate what it means to play, and what it takes to play at the highest level. The West Indies fielding was as poor as anyone has ever seen. The attitude was almost care-free. I hope that the team's hierarchy could now force these players to appreciate their lack of intensity and even maybe understand the basics of the game too. As the standard Barbadian supporter would have said; "Cor blimey; dat team look real bad, bo'".
Edgbaston is also a good batting pitch, but should help the bowlers more than Lords. England's bowlers, especially Ashley Giles, who would be playing at home after his Man-of-the Match efforts at Lords, would be relishing their tasks.
The West Indian bowlers have got to regroup quickly to dismiss Michael Vaughn. Corey Collymore will certainly be included, even if under-prepared, along with Lawson, replacing the injured (is that in his leg or his head?) Best and Edwards. The West Indies will do well to draw the second Test. For the West Indies to win Test No. 2, the bowlers would have to do a 180 degree turn, going exactly in the opposite direction. Look to the West Indies batsmen to try their best again to salvage whatever pride the team still has. Regrouping in such a short time will be tough.