By way of Saurabh Kumar: After a month-long wreck because the Global Take a look at Championship ultimate in opposition to Australia, the Indian crew is ready to go back to Take a look at cricket with a two-match collection in opposition to the West Indies within the Caribbean. West Indies and India have a protracted and storied historical past in Take a look at cricket, courting again to the primary assembly between the 2 groups in 1948.
Traditionally, the West Indies had been the dominant facet, however India have emerged because the crew to overcome prior to now twenty years. Since 1948, India have performed 98 Checks in opposition to the West Indies, of which they received 22. West Indies have received 30 suits. The rest 46 Checks resulted in a draw.
The Indian crew visited the West Indies for the primary time in 1952 and it took them 18 years and three excursions to sign in their first collection victory over the mighty Carribean in 1971. If we check out the entire file, the Indian crew has performed a complete of 12 Take a look at collection within the West Indies with 5 wins, whilst the West Indies received seven. Of the 45 Checks performed on West Indies shores, West Indies received 16, whilst India have received 9 with 20 Checks finishing in a draw.
HISTORIC 1971 SERIES WIN IN WI
After shedding 0-5 within the West Indies in 1962, India returned to the Caribbean islands in 1971 for a five-match collection. Till that excursion, India had received handiest 15 of 116 Take a look at suits since making their Take a look at debut in 1932. The Windies had legends like Gary Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, and Clive Lloyd on their facet, so the percentages had been closely stacked of their favour.
Ajit Wadekar and his males, then again, had different concepts. The unheralded vacationers fought valiantly to defeat the mighty West Indies and win the collection 1-0. Sunil Gavaskar, making his global debut within the collection, used to be certainly India’s standout participant, scoring 774 runs in 4 suits. Sardesai, Salim Durani, Eknath Solkar, S Venkataraghavan, Erapalli Prasanna, Bishan Singh Bedi, and others made important contributions to the victory.
INDIA’s DOMINANCE SINCE 2002
In truth, the once-mighty West Indies have plummeted to embarrassing lows throughout all codecs in recent times, as evidenced via their appalling efficiency within the ongoing Global Cup Qualifiers. Whilst the rustic’s decline in cricket can also be attributed to quite a few unlucky components, the approaching house collection in opposition to the mighty Indians supplies a possibility to kickstart their resurgence in all codecs.
A number of fanatics had been looking to recall the ultimate time the Caribbean Males defeated India in a house Take a look at tournament. That may require us to return greater than twenty years, such because the Asian large’s dominance within the Caribbean Islands. The ultimate time India misplaced within the Caribbean used to be within the 5th Take a look at in Jamaica in 2002, a whopping 21 years in the past.
This used to be India’s ultimate defeat in a Take a look at collection in opposition to the West Indies. It used to be again when Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly, and Brian Lara had been on the best in their recreation. After 2002, India and the West Indies performed a complete of 8 Take a look at collection, 4 of that have been performed in India and 4 within the West Indies. India have long gone unbeaten within the earlier 13 Take a look at suits and 4 collection within the West Indies, profitable six and drawing the opposite seven.
CAN WI BREAK THE CURSE?
Regardless of being ranked 8th in the most recent ICC Take a look at scores, the West Indies have proven indicators of development within the longer layout below the management of Kraigg Brathwaite. All the way through the hot 2021-23 WTC cycle, the crew received 4 in their 13 Checks whilst drawing two others. This incorporated spectacular victories in a 1-1 tie with Pakistan and a 1-0 house collection win over England. Regardless of shedding 0-2 to Australia overdue ultimate 12 months, the West Indies annihilated Bangladesh 2-0 at house and confirmed indicators of promise.
To the contrary, India have arguably been the most efficient Take a look at facet over the past 8 years, qualifying for the WTC finals for 2 successive occasions. Regardless of falling quick on each events, the Indians had been bold at house and away and might be heavy favourites to begin the collection.