WEST INDIES WOES

Beckoning Barbados it is for Test number two in the Digicel Series as the West Indies attempt to ensure that this is not the final meaningful game of India's Caribbean odyssey. If I am totally honest I am struggling to find a way back for them. I presumed that Gayle would be reinstated and that in itself would provide a necessary spark to enthuse and galvanize. All supposed interested parties failed to meet, share dialogue and throw around empty promises, so the current status quo regarding the most dominating batsman around remains.

Where does that leave the local boys? Up a creek without a paddle, that's where! The way in which they tamely succumbed in the first Test was alarming. Their batting was ghastly and nothing suggests to me that they can turn things around in a matter of days and front up as a different unit come day one in Barbados. India's come from behind victory first up was stunning.

It bucked an annoying trend. Remember they were 85 for 6 and entering the point of no return just after lunch on the first day. A couple of gutsy blokes then got together and counter punched perfectly to swing the initiative back. The track was willing, the West Indies uninspiring, and once Dravid anchored, batting last was always going to be challenging.

The current West Indies team has struggled enormously with consistency since 2000. Decades ago a proud band of brothers captivated the entire Caribbean with their typical calypso signature and conquered all before them. Those inspiring feats of yesteryear are now a distant memory. Then, throngs of animated supporters were jam packed into heaving stadiums, each one eager to burst into spontaneous celebration as another hapless foreigner was bombarded by the best. Today the stands are empty and the expectation similar.

Sammy's bunch have got very little going for them. Do they still possess enough genuine self belief to level the series and fight another day? How badly have they been scarred by their recent unsatisfactory performances?

Can they scrap tooth and nail to claw back into a game once forced onto the back foot, or is it just a matter of time before they are floored by a killer blow?