The West Indies lion roars tonight
The West Indies have been written off as counterfeit cricketers. They have come roaring back in the first three days of the Adelaide test.
Over the three days of the second Test at Adelaide, the West Indies have effectively silenced their many critics in Australia who have ridiculed the team as a counterfeit aggregation and called for the side to be banished to an International Cricket Council (ICC) second division.
Dwayne Bravo’s exhilarating century and the resolute batting of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brendon Nash, Darren Sammy and paceman Ravi Rampaul left the naysayers completely dumbfounded and today the bowling of Sulieman Benn and Kemar Roach demonstrated that the West Indies are possessed of talent and fighting spirit.
It was easy to write off the Caribbean team after an innings and 65 runs defeat at the Gabba within three days but the truth is that it was a woefully ill-prepared team confronting Australia in their own backyard.
Gone are the days when visiting teams have a few warm-up games against First Class opposition before the first Test match: the visitors who had not played any First Class matches for several months only had one practice match in Australia-against Queensland.
The rust and lethargy showed and the whipping was a wake up call.
Despite the obvious handicap of their main strike bowler Jerome Taylor having to return to Jamaica because of injury, the West Indies showed that they were tough competitors rattling up a spirited 451 and bowling out Australia today for 438.
The tigerish fielding in hot conditions which supported the disciplined bowling of Benn and Roach should indicate to Australia that the wounded lion is roaring back.
The match is at a critical stage and tonight (TT time) Chris Gayle and his boys must continue the good work and press for victory on a wearing track.