Thoughts on the second day of the Test

Dear Editor,

Lunch-time second day of the first Test India v West Indies:

I watched half of the morning session on TV and listened carefully to the comments of Bishop and Dujon about the handling of the bowlers. I wondered whether there is something in the traditions of cricket that stood in the way of these two guys, especially Bishop, offering the advice they offered on TV directly to the bowlers. More importantly, I wondered why they were not either criticizing the coach or offering him the same advice. It has baffled me for the longest while why cricket coaches do not involve themselves more directly in cricket matches, that is as the game proceeds, especially when the captain is inexperienced. I noted the pace at which Holder bowled, and I wondered whether the team had decided from the beginning that fast bowlers would receive no help from the pitch in Antigua. However, I asked myself whether medium pace bowlers ever become fast bowlers, and whether the West Indies believe that a medium pace bowler can generally do the same job that a fast bowler can do, and also whether Holder had any doubts about his capacity to be a regular opening bowler. Most of all I thought that most normal people would feel better if the West Indies team was looking as bad as it did up to this point, knowing that the selectors had chosen the team from all the cricketers in the region that are fit, that is to say not injured.

Finally, I thought there were about fifty people at the arena.

Hopefully things would be different at the end of the game.

Yours faithfully,

Romain Pitt