By ICF Staff
June 1 2006

India started their Windies tour huge favorites for both ODIs and Tests, but following a humiliating 1-4 reverse in the ODIs appear unsure and uncoordinated going into the Tests. As the third-ranked team in Tests, India's triumph in the series should be a given, especially in the context of the performance of the West Indies in recent years.

However, a relatively mediocre performance in the 2-day warmup against inexperienced Antigua, on the heels of the ODI whipping at the hands of the lowest-ranked team in the world outside of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, does not portray the Indian side as a confident one.

Coach Greg Chappell has made bizarre public statements designed to put the Indian team under pressure. He has said that Pathan has been bowling poorly and is struggling. Elsewhere, he stated that the Indian team lacks the necessary mental strength to win.

Is this some strange Chappell Way intended to motivate his team by angering them? His similar statement about the Windies, that they have forgotten how to win close games, did spur them on according to Brian Lara, but then they are opponents. One can at least understand mind games played in the media against opponents. But just why is Chappell playing mind games against India, instead of working directly with them to improve their game and their confidence level?

Brian Lara and ex-Windies cricketers have said and done everything they can to project India as an inferior side incapable of winning in the Windies. Amidst all this cacophony, captain Rahul Dravid has been conspicuous by his silence.

Not only has Chappell blasted his own team, his recommended psychologist Rudi Webster has gone on record with negative statements about the Indian team immediately following his one-on-one meetings with the team members to purportedly help them win.

If this "friendly fire" is how Chappell and his staff intend to help India win, the team needs to be shielded from them. It is high time the BCCI dealt with the controversial coach in firm manner: nothing less than a threat to sack him appears to be likely to work.

The key batsmen for India will be Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, and VVS Laxman. They all need to fire consistently for India to have a chance to take this series.

Among the bowlers, the pick of the Indians Ajit Agarkar was bafflingly sent back in a possible sign of distrust between the team management and the BCCI. That leaves Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh as the only experienced bowlers on slow West Indian tracks that offer little assistance. Among the pacemen, aside from Agarkar none of them have looked threatening on this tour.

Antigua has a reputation of assisting batsmen, with the two highest Test scores (both by Lara) coming on this ground. Even Ajay Ratra has a century on this ground, which came during India's last match here. It is the best possible place for India's batsmen to perform to expectation, and here's hoping they will do so in the match starting tomorrow.