West Indies v India, 1st Test, Roseau, 12-16 July, 2023

West Indies won the toss & chose to bat. Currently 0/11.

Looks as though Fox aren't showing this.

0/11? You only get 10 wickets, or were India being generous in allowing them a couple of extra players?

Anyway, in English they’re now 124/7. The customary amount of resistance, though the much hyped (I heard about him yesterday…) Athanaze is hanging on in there.

Shitty Windies rolled for 150 with Ashtray (michelle) and Jadeja getting 8 between them.

Bannies 0-80 in reply.

Pretty much sets the tone for the series.

and Athanaze top scored with 47 on debut and scored almost 1/3rd of their runs

First step to reviving Caribbean cricket: go back to producing pacy pitches. They’ll never win with spin… (well, except when we come unstuck there every four years).

Yashasvi Jaiswal on debut is currently 40 not out.

He has had an impressive if brief First Class career scoring 1845 runs @ 80.21 in 15 matches with 9 centuries. He also scored that IPL record 13 ball fifty earlier this year.

Almost effectively an innings ahead, after four sessions… if they declare wicketless and bowl them out again, have they won by two innings?

Century on debut for Yashasvi Jaiswal


India currently 0/217
Yashasvi Jaiswal  108 not out
Rohit Sharma   93 not out

Nohit goes for 103, Athanaze with the only wicket as well… new Sobers?

Could be a chance of a record winning margin here though. England’s innings-and-579 against Australia in 1938 is unlikely to be threatened, but WI’s worst effort, an innings and 283 at Headingley in 2007, must be on the cards. I thought they were more competitive in home Tests… India’s best is inns&272 against same opponents 5 years ago.

Innings (and a half) and 141 runs, well inside three days. WI appear to have thrown in the towel after the World Cup debacle, regardless of format.

For those who take pleasure in their demise (as per the non-qualification thread), I see your point to an extent… watching them turn crap was entertaining to an extent, as per Liverpool in the ‘90s and Man Utd in the ‘10s, but after a while… do we not want to see more Sobers, Richards and Laras, more Marshalls, Holdings and Ambroses? Wasn’t cricket one of the things that gave the Caribbean region its identity? Do we want the same three countries dominating Test cricket forever (with occasional interruptions from the mercurial Pakistan and punching-above-their-weight NZ)? I fear SA for one are heading the same way as WI, and the ICC don’t seem to be doing much about it.

I think WI, like England, will occasionally ruse to join the top countries. And I’d say Pakistan is there alongside Australia, India, and Sri Lanka. You’re right about South Africa though.

Jesus, what a spineless performance.

lardbucket wrote:I think WI, like England, will occasionally ruse to join the top countries. And I’d say Pakistan is there alongside Australia, India, and Sri Lanka. You’re right about South Africa though.

Barring our customary capitulation in the Caribbean, their last Test series win against a non-minnow was against NZ in 2012. They haven’t won such a series away from home for 20 years

lardbucket wrote:I think WI, like England, will occasionally ruse to join the top countries. And I’d say Pakistan is there alongside Australia, India, and Sri Lanka. You’re right about South Africa though.

Pakistan won't, I don't think. They've been crap for almost a decade now and the country is a shambles compared to what they were in the 80s. They only really have a good T20 side right now. Ranked 1 in ODIs, but nobody else has paid attention to the format since 2019 tbh. I won't be too surprised if they fall away like in hockey and squash, just a lot slower.

The country I can see making a big leap in the next 2-3 decades is Bangladesh. Lot of work yet to be done, though... But, as you say, the predominant test teams of the foreseeable future is probably quite set already.

Hopefully we'll have more of a green pitch for the next match. Spin friendly will always be a non contest.