NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – A hat-trick of wins has broadened the smile on West Indies skipper Darren Sammy’s face but tougher tests await his team in the remaining World Cup Group B assignments.
West Indies have done well to put behind the defeat by South Africa and cope with injuries to key players, most prominently their talismanic all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, to put themselves back on track for a place in the quarter-finals.
Wins over the Netherlands, Bangladesh and Ireland allowed them to gain six points and some confidence that should stand them in good stead in the tougher tests against England (March 17) and India (March 20).
Friday’s 44-run victory against Ireland did not come before the team went through some torrid moments, especially when Ed Joyce and Gary Wilson were in the middle, but the ever-smiling Sammy was not ready to underestimate the win against a side which is clearly head and shoulders above other second-tier teams.
“We got what we wanted, a victory,” Sammy said.
“We did not take the Irish for granted, we knew what they are capable of,” he said of the team that had humbled England earlier in the tournament.
“Hopefully we will win one of the remaining two matches and reach the quarter-finals.”
Significantly, they beat Ireland despite the absence of mercurial opener Chris Gayle.
Gayle’s abdominal strain necessitated a batting rejig with Shivnarine Chanderpaul partnering Devon Smith at the top and Andre Russell making his World Cup debut in the match at Mohali.
Russell did not disappoint, bowling his full quota of 10 overs to claim the wicket of Joyce in what was possibly the turning point of the match.
“It was great the way Russell stood up, he has a good future,” Sammy gushed, happy that he now has an extra bowling option.
The West Indies captain would also be happy with the way Devon Smith hit his maiden ODI century against Ireland.
Dwayne Bravo’s absence has forced the team management to promote Kieron Pollard up the batting order and the move has paid rich dividends.
Pollard is clearly enjoying his promotion, evident from his 55-ball 94 in Mohali, and insists he is much more than just yet another Twenty20 specialist.
“What’s been said about me, that’s just history. We are playing 50-overs cricket and here I have got a couple of more overs to bat. I see an opportunity for myself here to go out and do my best,” he said.
Sammy (3-31) himself will be happy to be back among the wickets, while left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn (4-53) is also thriving on the sub-continent’s turning tracks.
After three relatively easy outings, the task would be tougher against an English team smarting from their defeat by Bangladesh but with Gayle expected to join the ranks, Sammy would hope to clear that hurdle as well and book a quarter-final berth on March 17.
