Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey
Wanted to see some fight?
The all-in brawl in the UFC clash between McGregor and Khabib was the place to be. Not Rajkot, unfortunately.
Even India’s rival fans know there is a huge gulf in class between India and West Indies, but the lack of fight from the latter was as disappointing as it is harmful to all involved. Even against a new-look Australia this year, this does India no favours. Neither the West Indies. Nor Test Cricket.
It is a match where it served no purpose other than several players giving me the opportunity to put forward a decent, somewhat funny (hopefully) player ratings piece.
So, in a forgettable Test Match, here are my player ratings out of ten. Watch out…
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| Meme time! |
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India
Prithvi Shaw: An innings full of class from the teenager. Couldn’t have hoped for anything else but to start his Test career against a side that Harbhajan Singh questioned where they are Ranjit Trophy quality. Beautiful strokeplay, and hopefully a long, successful career ahead for the 18 year old. 9.5
KL Rahul: To be fair to KL, his first over review was decent. The ball was missing off and leg. If poor reviews was a sport, KL Rahul would be a multi-Olympic Gold Medal winner. Took a catch which gives him a point. 1
Cheteshwar Pujara: Back at home and cruisy as. Was on track for not only a century, but maybe even a double, before nicking off out of absolutely nowhere. 8
Virat Kohli: This man topped the run scoring charts in challenging batting conditions in South Africa and England. A home Test against this West Indies side was going to be like a park cricket match for him. Too good. 9.5
Ajinkya Rahane: Scratchy innings at times, and got out for his career average. His review, like Rahul, was selfish. Not at his best at the moment. 6.5
Rishabh Pant: Swashbuckling innings, and missed out on the chance for two straight Test hundreds. I can’t wait to see him taking on the Aussie bowlers down under. Some nice glovework, too. Time to put him in the ODI side… 9
Ravindra Jadeja: India waited for the declaration not only for the century, but to see that celebration. Wickets and runs for Jadeja in a great outing for him. I’ll take half a point off him for his lack of respect in running out Shemron Hetmeyer in the first innings. Not cool. 9.5
Ravichandran Ashwin: Not much to write home about in his batting, but as always in the wickets at home. Kieran Powell took him on, but it didn’t matter. Six wickets for Ashwin, who bowled well for the most part. 8
Kuldeep Yadav: The Windies batsmen had no thoughts of fighting it out, and Kuldeep said thank you. His first five wicket haul. It was just too easy. 8.5
Umesh Yadav: Bowled with pretty good pace in the first innings. Can he fight his way into the side in Australia? Will the West Indies bat long enough in the second Test to actually give him the opportunity to express himself? 6.5
Mohammed Shami: Started the procession on day two, and proved why his strike rate is so good in Asia. Very good first innings bowling effort. 7.5
West Indies
Kraigg Brathwaite: His second Test as captain, and I’m sure he’ll be really keen for the next game… In all honesty, this was one hell of a tough outing. West Indies need more from him in the second Test. 2
Kieran Powell: Played some cracking second innings shots. Would have been a good hundred, but unfortunately missed out. Question is – will he play the same way straight away in the second Test? 6.5
Shai Hope: Yet to relive the heights of England 2017. 3
Shemron Hetmeyer: Supposed to be West Indies’ most promising batsman, but played a second innings shot that belonged on a “world’s worst” TV show. A match to forget. 1
Sunil Ambris: First class record not too flash, so it is a big ask to go well against India in India. Scored well in the tour match, but needs more runs to justify his position. 1
Roston Chase: Tried his guts out during the match. Forced to do lots of bowling, mostly wayward, and then dug as deep as he could with the bat with chaos around him. 7
Shane Dowrich: Finished with a not out. As good as it got. West Indies need to get the best out of Dowrich, who is a decent player. 4
Keemo Paul: In the side for his bowling, but ended up outplayed most of his teammates with the bat. Tells the story, doesn’t it? 4
Devendra Bishoo: His 54 overs in the first innings was more than West Indies’ entire first innings (48 overs) and second innings (50.5 overs). Lots of loose bowling, but tried his best. I reckon he slept pretty well during the Test… 5
Shermon Lewis: Wickets of Kohli and Pujara on debut. Otherwise a very tough debut. 4
Shannon Gabriel: Opening over success and that’s all she wrote. 3
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Boy, can’t wait for the second Test!
Said no one ever.
Well, here’s hoping it’s more competitive than this one.
Thanks for reading!
P.S., I have partnered with the absolutely amazing team at onlinecricstore.com, the most comprehensive Online Cricket Store you’ll see. Through me, you can enjoy discounts on 700+ products through a single code. Want to find out more? Check it out here.
