Consistency has put Windies in command

Ramnaresh Sarwan

The watchwords for West Indies over the next day or two will be “consistency” and “complacency” – they need a lot of the first and little or none of the latter.

Without a doubt, West Indies are firmly in the driver’s seat after two days of the first Test against South Africa which began on Boxing Day in Port Elizabeth. It’s hardly a position which most fans – c’mon be honest – expected us to be in but the guys have got there by dint of disciplined batting and bowling and by being patient ... over after over. In other words, they have succeeded by their consistency in applying themselves and doing the right things repeatedly coupled with reining in the urge to play rash shots or to try something unnecessarily extravagant – things that have been our downfall in the past.

Now, sitting pretty – with 408 on the board and with Graeme Smith and company reeling at 122 for 5 at the start the third day –West Indies must guard against one of our most sinister enemies if we are to push home the advantage and press for victory.

We cannot afford an iota of complacency if we are to win this game and snatch a vital 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.

There was a hint of that old foe in the dying stages of yesterday, as the bowlers offered up some deliveries that were decidedly looser than those earlier in the South African innings. I expect that the guys would have regrouped at last evening’s team meeting and that Daren (Powell), Jerome (Taylor) and Fidel (Edwards) will come this morning ready to make life as difficult as possible for Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers and the rest of the South African line-up. We need to get them out – and as cheaply as we can.

It’s always great to have options in a Test match and, if we can dismiss the opposition for under 209, then asking them to follow-on would be a major consideration. It would give us the upper hand completely and increase the pressure on South Africa even more as we seek what many would see as an unlikely triumph.

I’m really optimistic about our chances in this match and proud about the manner in which our players have acquitted themselves so far. It shows that if we do the right things consistently – bat properly; take our time; bowl in the right channels; stick to our game plan – then the appropriate rewards are likely.

One of the problems in the past was the uneven batting contribution within our line-up. What we have seen in our first innings here is that most batsmen, even in the lower order, pitched in. Even when we lost the first two wickets on the first day, Runako Morton and Marlon Samuels stayed together for a while, then Samuels and Shiv (Chanderpaul) had a century partnership. When Marlon was out, Shiv got support from Dwayne (Bravo) and later on Darren Sammy. This allowed us to continue building the overall score and that’s what we have generally lacked – batsmen sticking around at the crease.

Shiv was brilliant and Marlon was outstanding. It was the best I have ever seen Marlon bat. He was very patient and this is a great sign for us. I just hope he can produce that type of innings on a – yes, you guessed it – consistent basis. Chris Gayle was also very good and the start which he and Daren (Ganga) gave us was crucial. I also want to commend Darren Sammy who has been scoring his runs quietly but effectively, and is an asset to the lower order.

Chris’ return after his hamstring injury is also huge psychologically. As captain – and one of the most experienced players in the team – he is a big influence. When he is around, everyone is happy and pumped up. It was very important to get him back on the field for this opening Test and, so far, he’s doing a great job.

Meanwhile, I’m continuing rehabilitation from the injury to my right ankle which is feeling progressively better. I trained with the Guyana squad yesterday, doing stationary catching and some batting on concrete. Persistent rains have hampered our preparations on grass. However, today we hope to use the facilities at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence which has excellent drainage.

I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed – both for a let-up in the showers here in Georgetown and for West Indies’ fortunes in South Africa.

Let’s hope they can make it a truly Happy New Year for us all!