IT'S DO OR DIE AT KENSINGTON OVAL TODAY

IT’S DO OR DIE AT KENSINGTON OVAL TODAY

May 09, 2010 Sports

Windies must beat India to stay in title hunt

By Sean Devers in Barbados In association with Carib Beer & Leisure Inn

After being trashed in their opening Super Eight games here on Friday, it’s now ‘do or die’ at the Kensington Oval from 09:30 today when West Indies face-off with India to stay in the 2010 T/20 World Cup.
India looked very uncomfortable against the pace of Australia on a track with pace and bounce while the West Indies produced a schoolboy like showing in all three aspects of their game as they were hammered by Sri Lanka.
Today a lot will depend on a good foundation from Skipper Chris Gayle and Shiv Chanderpaul if the hosts are to beat India to keep their semi-finals hopes alive, especially since they have to play Australia in a Day/Night game in St Lucia on Tuesday.
India who failed to reach the second round when the last 50-overs World Cup was played in the West Indies in 2007 and their billions of cricket mad fans in Asia will demand that they go all the way this time. This type of pressure could either motivate them to greatness or push them into panic mode if the West Indies can take the early advantage this morning.
Ramnaresh Sarwan is the team’s most complete batsman but he struggled to score quickly as West Indies chased a huge 195 against Sri Lanka on Friday and although he shared in a fifty partnership with Dwayne Bravo both batsmen were never able to dominate the Sri Lankans.
The home team will hope that Narsingh Deonarine fully recovers from his ‘flu’ to replace an out-of-place looking Wavell Hinds and that Andre Fletcher, picked ahead of Denesh Ramdin because of his batting, understands his role in the order.
Daren Sammy is also capable in the lower order but the biggest disappointment has been Kieron Pollard who 20/20 International average has slumped below 11 with a series of brainless failures in West Indies colours. If he is retained today he would want to re-produce his big hitting for T&T and the Mumbai Indians for the West Indies.
Playing against a country where he was paid the highest salary among all players in the recent IPL which his team won, could inspire the powerful right-hander to come good today, especially since the Indian media will have all eyes on this game which could influence what is paid to who in the next IPL.
The West Indies fast bowlers; Jerome Taylor and Kemar Roach will hope to expose the Indian’s discomfort to pace like the Aussies did, but even without Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sahwag the Indians, led by MS Dhoni, will be out to prove their title in the inaugural 20/20 World Cup in South Africa was no fluke.
The West Indies just did not turn up to the party on Friday after squeezing into the second stage of the competition with a win against Ireland and a rain assisted victory on the Duckworth/Lewis against England in Guyana and another sell-out crowd will be urging them on today on the final day of action here in Barbados before the Final on May 16.
Indian are good players of spin but the towering left-armer Suleiman Benn could again play an important role with the ball while Bravo and Sammy will need to lend economical support.
Suresh Raina who scored a hundred in St Lucia is one of only three batsmen with centuries in a 20/20 World Cup match along with Gayle and Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayewardene and along with Rohit Sharma, who hit a courageous 79 in a losing effort against Australia, will hope to fire with the bat for India today.
Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Dhoni, Yusuf Pathan and Harbajan Singh will all have to chip in if India are to post a big total while Ashish Nehra, Ravindra Jadeja, Zaheer Khan and Harbajan will all need to be on target if India is to avoid being sent home.
The West Indies lost to Sri Lanka in last year’s semi-final and their last title was in 2004 when they beat England in the Champions Trophy final in England.
A win today will send their fans crazy with delight but judging from the team’s recent form, fingers are crossed and a capacity crowd today and the millions of West Indians around the world will be hoping for the best from the talented but inconsistent West Indies team playing in a format which seems best suited to their style of play and the apparent short concentration span of most of their players.

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IT’S DO OR DIE AT KENSINGTON OVAL TODAY

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