With the defeat of another ODI series, Sir Viv Richard has expressed his views regarding the series against India.
India has completed a clean sweep of 3-0 over West Indies by winning the third one-day international by 119 runs. With this win, India registered a record 12th consecutive bilateral series win against the West Indies.
The match was reduced to 35 overs due to rain. Chasing the target of 257 runs, West Indies were all out for 137 runs in 26 overs. Yuzvendra Chahal took four wickets.
In the 2nd ODI, West Indies openers Kyle Mayers (39 runs) and Shai Hope (115 runs) gave an attacking 65-run start and Shai Hope combined with Nicholas Pooran (74 runs) and Shamarh Brooks (35 runs) in the middle overs to score his 13th century. They finished with a massive score of 311/6 in the 50 overs with good cameos in the final overs.
Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales were excellent with the ball with combined figures of 20-1-86-3. they failed to defend the total as the visitors got over the line with two deliveries and as many wickets to spare.
In the 1st ODI, India posted a mammoth 308 for 7 with Shikhar Dhawan top-scored with a 99-ball 97. Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer chipped in with 64 and 54 respectively. Chasing a record target, the West Indies could only score 305 for 6 in 50 overs. Kyle Mayers top-scored for the home side with 75 while Shamarh Brooks and Brandon King contributed 46 and 54 respectively.
The West Indies needed 15 off the final over for a record chase at Queens Park Oval but Mohammed Siraj was able to stop a rampaging Romario Shepherd (38 not out off 25).
In the Interview, Sir Viv Richard said there needs to be some soul searching by all involved.
“Sometimes you have to question yourself and not just the captain and ask, ‘am I making an input in terms of what’s going on or am I giving enough?’ You have to sometimes try and find out about yourself because all that can help in the next match moving forward. To me, you just have to keep your chin up; losing is all part of the game but when it becomes overbearing, I guess that’s when it becomes very dismal,” he said.
Regarding recently appointed West Indies white ball captain Nicholas Pooran, Sir Viv said that bad starts as a leader can become a habit if mistakes are not identified and corrected as soon as possible.
“You can have a bad start and it depends on how long that bad start continues but you can always pick yourself up. I still believe that and obviously these things go through your mind in terms of ‘what are the things we are doing that are not right and we’re not connecting?’ So, all of these things go through your mind but at the end of the day I still believe the young man has enough cricketing ability, plus what he knows he has got upstairs in terms of the cricket brain, so even though it looks dismal at present there is still an opportunity for him to turn it around and to catch up at some point,” Sir vivan Richard said.