Ambrose and the Indian connection

The news that Curtley Ambrose will retire after the tour of England will no doubt be welcomed by batsmen the world over. Even though he was no longer the menace of old, the gangling 36-year-old West Indian paceman still commanded a lot of respect from batsmen, young and old. Indian batsmen too will no doubt be relieved that they will no longer have to face the fearsome fast bowler whose yorkers and bouncers terrorized them.

Astonishingly though, for a bowler with his awesome record and reputation, Ambrose's deeds against India are pretty modest. In nine Test matches in two contests in the Caribbean - 1989 and 1997 - Ambrose took only 15 wickets at an average of 38.33 with only one five wicket haul - five for 87 at Port of Spain three years ago. Compare this with his overall record of 388 wickets in 93 Tests and his impressive tally against England - 147 wickets at 18.80 apiece - and one finds it hard to understand why Ambrose's record against India was not better. It must not be forgotten that the traditional weakness of Indian batsmen has always been pace bowling and leading West Indian pacemen through the years - Hall, Gilchrist, Griffith, Roberts, Holding, Garner, Marshall and Walsh - have always enjoyed a very good record against India.

On closer look however it can be seen why Ambrose's tally of wickets against India was not higher. In 1989 he was very much the junior member of the pace quartet, having made his debut only a year before. He was in the shadow of Marshall, Bishop and Walsh. The wickets were spread and Ambrose ended up with the minimum share. Moreover, in the rain marred drawn first Test, on which there was play only on the first two days, Ambrose bowled only three overs. Ambrose took only five wickets in the series.

Eight years later however Ambrose was very much the kingpin of the pace attack. But this time there were as many as four others - Bishop, Walsh, Rose and Dillon - who had their share of the Indian scalps. Also two of the games were badly affected by rain restricting Ambrose's opportunities. But could a dynamic fast bowler like him remain totally in the background? Besides his bag of five wicket haul in the second Test, he played his part in shaping the only decisive result of the series. India needed only 120 to win the third Test but Bishop (4), Ambrose (3) and Rose (3) were in devastating form as the Indians were bundled out for 81. He finished third in the aggregate with 10 wickets and averages.

It is a pity that Ambrose's opportunites in India were limited. At the peak of his powers, he suffered a shoulder injury which ruled him out of the 1994-95 tour of the country. As it was, his only experience of playing in India was the MRF World Series in 1989-90 in which again his deeds were comparatively modest.