India plays West Indies in Tri Nation tournament today… India
has hit the crescendo – the Champions Trophy win adding to the win WC 2011..
giving rise to speeches that this Team is by far the best…
The venue was found way back in July 1962 reportedly as a place for refugees and survivors of the
1692 earthquake that destroyed Port Royal. Before the earthquake, this place
was used as agricultural land. The town
did not begin to grow until after the further destruction of Port Royal by the
Nick Catania Pirate Fleet's fire in 1703. The government sold land to people
with the regulation that they purchase no more than the amount of the land that
they owned in Port Royal, and only land on the sea front. Gradually wealthy
merchants began to move their residences from above their businesses to the
farm lands north on the plains of Liguanea.
There were times when teams used to fear to tour West Indies and
India has a bloody memory of this place.
In 1976, India toured West Indies under Bishan Singh Bedi. WI won the first test at Bridgetown, by an
innings and 97 runs. The second one at
Port of Spain was drawn and the third one on Apr 1976 was historic. Indians chased 405 in the fourth innings and
won by 6 wickets with Sunil Gavaskar and Vishwanath making centuries, ably
supported by Mohinder Amarnath, Brijesh Patel and Madanlal. In the fourth Test no. 776 in April 1976 - score card would
read India 306/6 decl !! ; WI 391 all
out. India 97 all out and West Indies
making the 13 runs required without losing a wicket. Statistics will never reveal the real story. WW
Daniel made his debut in a bloody test, where Indians were intimidated with
crowds calling for blood. The short pitched
bowling was overdone and Holding from round the wickets caused most damage to
the bodies of Indians. Gaekwad’s innings
was one of raw courage taking several blows on the body and arms – the gears
were not so protective those days. Gaekwad was forced to retire bleeding in his
ears ~ that was the test when one player after other had to be escorted to
hospital with bleeding injuries. In the
Second essay, Gavaskar failed to Holding and half of the team was not fit to
play. With 5 batsmen absent hurt – it
was recorded that Indians were all out for 97.
It took place at Kingston, the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located
on the southeastern coast of the island. Two parts make up the central area of
Kingston: the historic Downtown, and New Kingston. Sabina Park, the home of the Kingston Cricket
Club, is situated in the driest part of Kingston and for many years the pitch
was one of the hardest and fastest in the Caribbean. But in recent years the
surface slowed, despite attempts to restore life by relaying it on more than
one occasion.
Six months ago, Indian cricket was supposed to be at its nadir.
On the back of those eight successive overseas Test defeats came a shocking
home Test series loss to England. MS Dhoni was severely criticized. Things have changed so fast ! now it is No. 1 ranked ODI side, the World Cup and
Champions Trophy holder. India's opponents, West Indies, showed against Sri
Lanka in the opening game why an ODI ranking of No. 8 does them no justice,
especially when they actually use some of their enormous potential.
India has won 47 of its matches against the once formidable West
Indies representing a win % of 43 and you will not be surprised to know that
most of these have come in this century.
Prior to 1990, India clashed 32 times and won a mere 6 losing the rest
26. The first ever win came in its 3rd
encounter in 1983 at Berbice. 1983 was so good for Indians as they beat WI
twice in WC 1983 – the most important one coming at Lords in the Finals on 25th
June 1983, which is part of history now. Krish Srikkanth top scored there –
later India won once at Calcutta in Jan 1988 and twice at Sharjah – Srikkanth scored
a century in one of that becoming the MoM and 40 in the other.
With regards – S. Sampathkumar.
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