India vs West Indies 2016: Top 5 performers from the series
Anil Kumble’s first assignment as the newly-appointed coach of the Indian cricket team ended on a successful note as India clinched the four-match away Test series against the West Indies 2-0, after the fourth and final Test at Port of Spain was called off due to a persistently wet outfield.
Only 22 overs were bowled in the entire Test that saw cricketing action only during the first session on Day 1, as after that, despite the relatively clear weather for the remaining four days, no play was possible because of the damp outfield that was marred even further by an improper drainage system and the absence of a super sopper to dry the outfield.
Notwithstanding this disappointment, the series saw some high-octane cricketing action take place and the West indies, who were downplayed as the minnows despite being the hosts showed some good, disciplined performances in order to prove that the young Test team that they have been fielding for the past couple of years now has finally started reaping rewards.
While the likes of Jermaine Blackwood and Kraigg Brathwaite showed some promise with the bat, Roston Chase impressed one and all with his all-round abilities.
However, the visitors were just too strong and too experienced for the hosts – who are still in transition – and match-winning contributions from Ravichandran Ashwin – both with the ball as well as with the bat – Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, Mohammad Shami and the captain Virat Kohli proved out to be too much for the Caribbeans. Here, in this piece, we pick out five of the best performers from the series and elucidate their performances.
#5 Roston Chase
Roston Chase was the surprise package that emerged out of the series – not just for the West Indies but for the cricketing world at large. Being handed his Test cap during the first Test of the series in Antigua, it only took the 24-year-old two Tests to make his mark on the international scene.
With his and the team’s backs against the wall, and facing the probability of another innings defeat, Chase combined with the likes of Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder, to put up a display of grit, determination and a never-say-never attitude, that not only helped him scale his maiden Test century in only his second Test, but also pulled out one of the most unlikeliest of draws in modern cricket history.
His 5/121 in India’s first innings combined with his unbeaten knock of 137 in West Indies’ second was enough for him to be adjudged as the Man of the Match and create a considerable impact on the series. Overall, Chase finished with 190 runs from 4 innings at 38.00 with 1 century.
While that batting average might not look very promising, one must remember that his career is only four Tests old, and the patience that he showed at Jamaica consolidated on his reputation of a patient, promising first-class batsman. Chase also picked up 8 wickets from these games through his handy part-time off-spin.