By Tony Cozier
In KINGSTON

It is hardly coincidental that the West Indies’ decline to the depths of world cricket has been accompanied by an interminable spate of injuries.

The latest utterly undermined their limited strength yesterday in the opening Test against opponents who, inspite of their own problems, remain the powerhouses of the game.

They will continue to do so until fitness levels expected of professional athletes are achieved and maintained so muscles and joints don’t buckle under the first sign of strain.

Because of damage to one part of the body or another, the West Indies had to take the field yesterday without four players who would otherwise have been in the eleven.  Two were critical. Chris Gayle, the captain with the mystical touch and established opening batsman, was missing as the groin muscle pulled in the last ODI against Sri Lanka just over a month ago had still not healed. …..