Quote:The Windies selectors controversially went back to Devon Smith after he made loads of runs in the regional first-class competition, outperforming all his competitors. It was right that he was granted another opportunity but the step up in competition revealed deficiencies that should now preclude him from future selection. To be sure, some of his flaws were previously known, such as his vulnerability to the off-spinner coming round the wicket, yet his heavy scoring must have prompted the selectors to wonder if he had somehow overcome those flaws.
Caribbean fans would also have been acutely disappointed with the performance of Shai Hope. His twin hundreds at Headingly last year, made under fairly difficult circumstances, should have marked his elevation to the ranks of the game’s elite batsmen. Since then, however, he has stepped down off that high pedestal and is now being numbered among the mediocre. His class is evident every time you see him drive through the covers or swivel to pull, but he desperately needs to improve his consistency level as questions are already being raised about his place in the side.
Save for Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Mendis, the Sri Lankan batsmen really did not distinguish themselves. This was a series for the seamers, but like the West Indian batsmen, the Sri Lankans needed to have applied themselves much better than they managed to do.
The bowling was another matter. Lakmal continued along his recent upward trend and Rajitha did well in his first series. The real revelation, though, was Kumara. Most West Indian fans would not have seen him before, yet if he was an unknown quantity coming into the series he went out of it highly regarded by everyone who saw him. He matched Gabriel for pace, his direction was exemplary for most parts and he appeared to offer maximum effort every time he was summoned to bowl. He will not always operate in such helpful conditions, but the pace and aggression he displayed will make him a troublesome adversary, even in less helpful surroundings.
The bright spots for the Windies were the mature and skillful batting of Shane Dowrich, which earned him the Man of the Series award, the continued improvement of Gabriel and the all-round performance of captain Holder.
Dowrich scored 288 runs and averaged 57.6 in the series. He had shown only glimpses of his ability before, but this series he unveiled more patience, more judiciousness in his strokeplay and therefore produced runs more consistently. His wicketkeeping needs work but this series should mark a turning point for the Barbadian as a batsman.
Shannon Gabriel bowled with verve and control throughout. He was a constant threat to the opposition batsmen. It’s hard to believe that not that long ago there were many who thought, not without reason, that the burly Barbadian belonged nowhere near a Test match ground. His improvement is no doubt an indication of his assiduousness. No one would dare question his credentials now.
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