The veterans waged a grim battle to keep India ahead, and their outings were examples of the values they have stood for over the years. That they were asked to do the hard job was a tribute to the nature of pitches prepared for the series between India and the West Indies.
The preceding series between the West Indies and Pakistan was notable for slow and low pitches. It was a rather sorry sight to see a part-time off-spinner like Mohammad Hafeez bowling the second over of a Test match.
The first few one-day matches in Trinidad and Antigua churned out dull affairs in which a total in the vicinity of 240 guaranteed success, threatening to spoil even the remaining element of excitement. On pitches that offered almost nothing to batsmen and bowlers, both the protagonists struggled to raise the level of their game.
The first hint of change came at Kingston when the Sabina Park track assisted pacers who were willing to bend their back and batsmen ready to come out of their comfort zone. Balls came at a brisk pace, forcing the batsmen to be extra careful about various part of their body and keeping the bowlers interested throughout. But as Dravid and Laxman showed, scoring was not a tough task either if batsmen waited patiently for the right opportunity.
In short, it was the eagerly-awaited balanced contest between bat and ball. As someone who loves challenges, Dravid was pleased to see pitches that brought the best out of players from both sides. “The tracks here have been tilted slightly towards the bowlers, which is good.
“The pitches at Jamaica and Barbados were lively compared to the ones on which they played the one-dayers. These tracks had pace and bounce,” Dravid said.
Many young Indian batsmen like Abhinav Mukund, Virat Kohli and M Vijay might not have played on such pitches back home. Dravid termed the tour as a chance for them to gain experience that will stand them in good stead in future.
“It’s not been easy for the young batsmen to come and face the new ball. I have played four tours here, and this has been some of the toughest tracks I have faced. The young guys will learn a lot from this experience. As I was telling some of them, they should use this chance well as they might not get a chance to play on such tracks when they return home,” Dravid said.
The former skipper was of the opinion that such pitches would do a world of good for Test cricket’s popularity, which has been dwindling over the years. “Such pitches are very good advertisements for Test cricket. Both batsmen and bowlers have got help here, so it’s been a good challenge for both the sections,” Dravid said.