New Zealand vs West Indies: Chance for Jason Holder's men to prove they are no pushovers

They simply have no choice. If the West Indies are to convince the cricket world that they are making real progress, they have to give a good account of themselves against New Zealand. The Caribbean side have to show that recent good performances against Pakistan, England and Zimbabwe were not just instances of over-achievement that teams sometimes experience before reverting to their usual ineptitude. They need to show that what happened in England, especially, was no fluke. Rather, it’s an indication that West Indies cricket is now on an upward trajectory and is at last climbing out of the mire in which it was grounded for a long time. Challenging the New Zealanders in their own surroundings won’t be easy. It never is. The West Indies have never had things their own way there, not even during the glory days of the 1980s. And the last time they triumphed there was way back in the 1994-95 series. This unit, however, is an improving one, and has exhibited the kind of character that will facilitate them overcoming tough opposition and tough conditions. [caption id=“attachment_3091612” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of West Indies captain Jason Holder. AP[/caption] Could they have faced more foreboding prospects than they did on the eve of the Leeds Test a few months ago? They were flattened in the first Test in Birmingham, humiliated by the grotesque margin of an innings and 209 runs. Save, perhaps, for an unbeaten 79 in the first innings by Jermaine Blackwood, there was nothing positive they could have pointed to as a sign of hope for the remainder of the series. Rightly, they were castigated all round, and the lament that cricket in the Caribbean was slouching towards a slow and painful passing, filled the airwaves. It is to their great credit then, that Jason Holder and his team were able to cast all that mental anguish aside and rise to an improbable victory in Leeds. It was a scarcely believable performance. But so convincing were players like Shai Hope, Kraigg Brathwaite, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel and Holder that one got the feeling they could do it again if they tried. They will need to do it again in New Zealand. If the West Indies are to win the series, or even if they are to be competitive throughout, that is the level they need to reach and maintain. Again, it has to be emphasised that their task will be an exceedingly difficult one. New Zealand have, over recent years, constructed a good team that is especially difficult to overcome in their own conditions. In skipper Kane Williamson, they have a batsman who sits at the very pinnacle of world batting, along with Steve Smith, Virat Kohli and Joe Root. Keeping his bat relatively silent over the two matches will be a difficult assignment. Not far behind is the classy Ross Taylor. Capable of scoring runs quickly and elegantly, he too could be a handful. Batsmen like the consistent Jeet Raval, who averages almost 45 in seven tests despite never scoring a century, and Tom Latham, who has recently shown good One-Day Internationals (ODIs) form against India, are also good players, even if they fall slightly lower down in the pecking order. Tim Southee’s late withdrawal from the squad could reduce the hosts’ seam-bowling prowess. But that could clear the path for Lockie Ferguson to make his debut, a bowler who deals in prohibitive pace and has an enviable first-class record. Trent Boult remains a high-class seamer, capable of extracting disconcerting swing, and the feisty Neil Wagner is the only bowler on either side ranked among the top ten of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) bowlers’ list. Undoubtedly, the West Indies are underdogs. But the relatively low expectations mean they have little to lose, and therefore little to fear. Fearless and positive cricket is what aided their recent win in Leeds, and it is the kind of cricket they will be advised to play in New Zealand. They are now a relatively stable team with some players of quality. The batting should be led by Hope. His twin hundreds at Headingley was the first time that such a feat was accomplished in ground’s 127-year history. That performance elevated the Barbadian from the ranks of the ordinary Test batsman, to one at the elite level. He has to accept that he is now a batsman capable of rubbing shoulders with the very best in the game. Hope will need to show his worth in New Zealand, as will others like Brathwaite and Roston Chase, who have shown some ability. Sunil Ambris is yet to play a Test, but he has been exhibiting good form and should get into the final XI. With coach Stuart Law expressing the need for stability, the selectors are likely to keep faith with Blackwood. The aggressive right-hander has, at times, been injudicious in his shot selection, but a slightly modified approach, if he can be urged to adopt one, could see him becoming a more consistent performer. The West Indies bowling will be heavily reliant on pacers Gabriel and Roach. Gabriel’s pace packs a punch and he is steadily getting better. Roach has lost some pace. At his quickest he made even Ricky Ponting jump about. Injury has reduced his sharpness, but he has been suggesting lately that his wicket-taking capabilities have not diminished. He could be an unrelenting and skilled operator in conditions not unfriendly to seam and swing. Captain Holder could also find those conditions to his liking as well. So could the very young Alzarri Joseph if the West Indies decide to go in with four seamers. The young Antiguan, imbued with pace and promise, is likely to grow into a very decent fast bowler. Now would be a good time for him to begin that journey. This series provides a great opportunity for the West Indies to show the world that Test cricket is no longer on life support in the Caribbean. It provides an opportunity for them to show that the days of allowing higher-ranked teams to roll them over are gone. It is an opportunity they should take.