The original chokers!

If ever there was a match that epitomised the lack of self-belief in West Indian team of the '90s, it was this. Playing in the World Cup semi-final, despite a loss to Kenya earlier in the tournament, the West Indies was in command for about 95 per cent of the match, a fact that Australian captain Mark Taylor himself emphasised. But to lose the whole game on so small a margin was something only the West Indies could have managed.

On one of the grassiest pitches one could find in the subcontinent, Australia won the toss and chose to bat first. A fatal error in judgement on the part of Mark Taylor thought most when Australia had lost their four top order batsmen for just 15. But some stoic batting by Stuart Law (72) and Michael Bevan (69) took them to a point of some respectability. The two put on 138 for the fifth wicket. Ian Healy also played his part scoring a brisk 31 (28b) to push the score over to 207.

Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh had picked up two wickets each at the top of the order, but the fact that the West Indies could not shut out Australia was a fact that could well have rankled the captain for long.

The West Indies reply started better than Australia's innings. Shane Warne came on to bowl early and had Courtney Browne's wicket. But thereafter, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Brian Lara forged a good partnership of 68 runs to take the Windies to 93 for 2. Even when Lara fell for 45 (45b), the West Indies did not panic. Richie Richardson walked in to join Chanderpaul and the two added 72 for the third wicket and victory was now in sight.

But Chanderpaul was starting to struggle with cramps and he eventually fell for 80 (WI 3/165). Roger Harper was promoted but he fell cheaply and a typical West Indian collapse ensued. None of the later batsmen could manage to get into double figures and the match came back into balance when Shane Warne struck thrice within six runs.

But Richardson was still there and he could have taken the West Indies home. Needing 10 off the last over, he hit a boundary off Damien Fleming's first ball and tried to pinch a single off the next. This was just the error that cost them the match. Ambrose was run out and Walsh threw away his wicket the very next ball. The West Indies had consumed themselves and incredibly, lost by 5 runs.

Inexplicable as it was, this was just the way West Indies was playing in most key matches. To be fair, they were lucky to have even made the semi-final after some of their performances in the opening round matches.

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Published on Mar 10, 2007