Can West Indies Bounce Back To Form Vs New Zealand?

In one word answer- yes. Why not? After all, impossible is actually nothing and that’s the universal truth before the legendary sports and lifestyle brand Adidas reminded us of a fact of life.

But again, there’s something called logic. And truth be told, for a team that so often persists with illogical modes of operating in a sport that it once took to serene heights, it doesn’t look as though the West Indies can upset New Zealand.

Although, the West Indies does have the talent to do so. There’s Pooran. There’s Mayers. There’s Holder and Powell in there too. Moreover, King is playing like one nowadays.

But if cricket contests were determined by talent alone, then Bangladesh and Zimbabwe or Ireland, three of the sport’s richly talented sides, would’ve been world beaters by now.

However, truth be told, the West Indies are staring at another series-loss where it comes to the white-ball series against Kane Williamson’s New Zealand.

And that’s not just down to the fact that of late, the West Indies have been playing more like an outfit that’d be rather named as worst Indies; but that’s also largely due to the fact that the home team’s form against the Kiwis has been abysmal.

Might sound a bit harsh but so be it. Is cricket always supposed to serve rose petals on a platter to its talents; very often, it’s about thorns that bleed the hands that attempt to embrace the buds of the flower.

And where West Indies’s recent outings to New Zealand are an indication, then it does appear that the Kiwis handed the Caribbean side a bunch of cactuses, forcibly.

So how’s that? Why’s there such crudness to it all?

Well to take a leaf from Shakira’s book, it’s not only the hips that don’t lie; it’s stats too!

In 2017-18, the West Indies went to New Zealand for a three-match ODI and T20I series and lost both. While the hosts whitewashed the visitors in limited over series, Windies even managing to lose a contest by 204 runs, New Zealand won the briefest format games 2-nil, with one lost to bad weather.

Not that things changed an awful lot for the West Indians.

In 2020, the West Indies, under Pollard, travelled to New Zealand again. This time too, they lost both the ODI’s and T20I’s they played. A no-result notwithstanding, the side led by Tim Southee made lightwork of Pollard’s brigade of powerful men.

While thankfully, there was no 50-over cricket on during that series, a string of woeful results didn’t evade Windies’ grasp; the Kraigg Brathwaite-led side losing both Tests it played.

In fact, a lowly outing became hugely embarrassing when the West Indies managed to clinch an innings loss on that tour (Second Test).

Having said that, a lot has happened since the 2020 Windies versus New Zealand series.

One Women’s world Cup, one Commonwealth games, and one men’s ODI world cup notwithstanding, the current make-up of the Caribbean side cuts a contrasting portrait to the band of defeated men who failed to cut short the Kiwi bird’s flight the last time around.

There’s no Darren Bravo. Pollard’s retired. Simmons is no longer around and Andre Russell, as per normal, is unavailable for national selection.

Things have changed so drastically that Roston Chase, a surprise pick in the T20I set-up for 2021 season, is no longer considered for the game’s shortest form.

As a matter of factly, the team that often shows scant regard for preservation of wickets, one that tried wicket-keeping batsman Shai Hope in T20I’s for a bit, has its keeper as the captain.

In Nicholas Pooran, the West Indies have a dashing strokemaker as captain, but one whose best performances as a batsman are yet to be truly seen. That’s if you discount the wonderful, matchwinning 74 not out against Bangladesh.

There are surprises in that Rovman Powell, yet another impressive product of the finishing school of West Indies power-hitting is the vice-captain to recently-elected Pooran. That’s when Powell’s last three scores in the shortest form read 9, 24 and 23.

But there’s also a massive sign of relief in that in blokes like Kyle Mayers and Shamarh Brooks, the latter that you’d perhaps ideally consider for ODI’s ahead of T20I’s, there’s a combo of power and elegance.

On top of that, there’s the impressive Obed McCoy, fresh from a hammering in the last of the two T20I’s versus India, the very opponents against whom he took a career-best 6-for, the best bowling figures recorded by a Windies bowler (ever).

The there’s Alzarri Joseph whose talent can’t be doubted with dubious recent bowling performances that lacked bite. And finally, there’s Jason Holder along with Odean Smith and Romario Shephered. While one’s glad Holder’s return to maroon duties won’t leave gasping for a heavily-talented cricketer, one’s really not sure how effective can Romario and Odean be with the ball?

Their penchant to bowl fuller and concede one easy run too many has made what should ideally seem a comprehensive team a self-capitulating one.

Akeal Hosein’s enigmatic presence offers the bite the Windies so desperately need in a department they’ve not really mastered thus far: spin bowling.

But the problems that the West Indies face today far outnumber these positives; their opponents are Williamson’s men who come hard at anything that reeks of mediocre cricket.

Guptill, Conway, Williamson, Boult and Neesham are all matchwinners in their own right. Barring Conway, who’s too dashing to be taken lightly, the current set up in the Caribbean has five matchwinners, the moment you add Mitchell Santner’s name to the list.

How well will the West Indies, connoisseurs of average, often thoughtless, even wayward bowling, be able contain the attacking Kiwis?

One wished there were any readily available answers; alas there are none. It’s all to play for and for both sides.

Though the intrepid Caribbean fan who still believes- as he must- will rally around the West Indies.