It is such a delightful feeling to witness the West Indies team win an ODI (50 overs) game against India, one of the leading teams in the world of cricket. And, it was not a fluke either. It was a convincing victory. Player-of-the-match Shai Hope who is the captain of the home team, played a marvellous innings of 63 not out in front of his home fans at Kensington Oval in Barbados, to bring success to his team. This was the second game in the three-match series.
The first game on July 26 was lost when WI, having been asked to bat first, could only manage 113 runs. India achieved the total although they lost five wickets.
WI’s score came off 23 overs while India needed 22.5. Both teams’ totals painted a picture of the state of the pitch on which they played.
[caption id="attachment_1028226" align="alignnone" width="682"] Keacy Carty of West Indies hits 4 to win the 2nd ODI against India, at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Saturday . West Indies won by six wickets. - AFP PHOTO[/caption]
Both games were played at Kensington Oval and the wickets were unsuitable for an ODI contest between two international teams.
When limited-overs were introduced in 1963 in England, it was to improve revenue at the County clubs. It served its purpose and the public, plus the players enjoyed the games. Certain changes to the laws of cricket were made to ensure the success it eventually became.
One of the factors was the type of pitch needed.
It had to be a flat wicket with no advantage to the bowler. The administration believed that spectators wanted to witness batsmen scoring loads of runs, which they assumed would be possible on pitches with no movement off the seam for the faster bowlers and no turn for the slow bowlers. The plan was for plenty of strokes, and huge scores, by dictating to captains where the field must be set etc., plus limited overs for bowlers and for innings.
It worked. The game attracted large crowds due to its novelty and excitement. Its dynamism spread internationally for the enjoyment of all and it evolved into the money spinner it was predicted to be.
[caption id="attachment_1028227" align="alignnone" width="1024"] -[/caption]
The interest also peaked for those who never appreciated cricket’s philosophy, its strategies, tactics, the contest between bat and ball, its difficult techniques to master etc. Therefore, it attracted people who thought that they could go to a game and sit down knowing it will end within one day, thus, they would not have to spend more days to witness the outcome.
Consequently, the pitches for the first two ODIs were against the basic tenets of the limited-overs game and spoiled the value of the matches. The ball turned almost square for the spinners while the fast bowlers obtained considerable bounce and movement from the surface. It was the opposite of how a pitch should play for a game of limited overs.
In the first match, WI batted first and were bowled out in 23 overs. India struggled and got the runs in one ball less.
In the second game, Indi
