Doubts over Samuels, Bravo as Windies seek to level series

For the fourth time in four separate ODI series in the past three months, the West Indies enter the last match in the Pepsi Cup against India here today with the outcome hanging on the result.

On all the previous occasions, they have fallen at the final hurdle. They were beaten by Australia in the finals of both the DLF Cup in Malaysia and the Champions Trophy in India, after defeating the world champions in the preliminaries, and lost to Pakistan in Karachi to concede a 3-1 margin in the bilateral contest in December.

They trail 2-1 here and today’s result carries significance beyond the short tournament itself.

The four matches were designed as their final rehearsal for the World Cup that starts in the Caribbean on March 13. A successful finish will send them into the game’s most prestigious event in the right frame of mind, defeat would have the opposite effect.

The failure to finish strongly, whether in a tournament proper or in individual matches, is an ongoing deficiency the West Indies need to eradicate to have any chance of going far in the World Cup.

Both in Nagpur, where they were beaten by 14 runs in a run feast that yielded 652 runs from the 50 overs, and in Cuttack, where they succumbed by 20 runs in a slow-scoring encounter on a difficult pitch, they allowed promising positions to slip.

In the first, Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s unbeaten 149 off 136 balls wasn’t enough to carry them home. In the second, they paid for complacency that let India move from 90 for seven, with all the main batsmen out, to 189 all out.

Even in the third in Chennai on Saturday, they stuttered to complete what should have been a more convincing victory, losing three wickets for 13 before sealing the deal by three wickets.

Both teams have utilized the earlier matches for some experimentation, India using 16 players, the West Indies all of their 14.

With so much at stake, both intend to choose their strongest eleven today on a ground that has staged 12 ODIs in which there have been one total over 300 and nine over 250.

The West Indies amassed 291 for five to pass India’s 290 for eight on their previous tour in 2002/03.

West Indies captain Brian Lara said as much after the Chennai win, India probably planned to do the same but were prompted by criticism by some board members of their earlier policy.

The West Indies’ intention was in some doubt as there was what the team’s media manager Imran Khan termed “concern” over the fitness of Dwayne Bravo and Marlon Samuels. He said a decision on whether it would be advisable to play either would be taken just before the start.

“Bravo jarred his left shoulder taking a tumble in the field in the last match and Samuels took a blow on his left index finger that is painful,” Khan said.

“Bravo is receiving treatment from (physiotherapist) Stephen Partridge,” he added. “Samuels had an x-ray on his finger but it revealed no fracture.”

They are both essential elements in team.

There was never any doubt about Bravo. His free-scoring at No.6, aggressive bowling and electric fielding constitutes the all-round package especially valuable in the limited-overs game but doubts lingered over Samuels’ inconsistency.

These have been allayed since his elevation to No.4 in the order in Pakistan – he averages 51.83 in his last six matches in the position.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Smith would return after their omissions in Chennai which gave Lendl Simmons and Reyad Emrit their first matches of the series.

Whether they have another depends on the fitness of Bravo and Samuels.

The ICC’s deadline for the naming of all squads of 15 for the World Cup is February 13. The selectors could well do so now but might want to wait for the remaining two rounds of the KFC Cup for a last look at marginal positions.