Agencies
Kolkata, April 2: West Indies’ rag-tag army of short-format mercenaries will be hoping they have the weapons to overcome a fearless England in Sunday’s World Twenty20 final as both sides target the honour of being the first to claim a second title in the tournament. England had claimed the title in 2010 while the West Indies did so in 2012.
For a group of players who nearly boycotted the event over a contractual dispute with their board, Darren Sammy and his troops have waltzed into the Kolkata final displaying all the Caribbean flair that has earned them global admiration. If T20 cricket is essentially about power-hitting, no team does it better and more unabashedly than the West Indies.
England have first-hand knowledge of that destructive potency, having been blown away by Chris Gayle’s 47-ball century in a Super 10 shellacking in Mumbai a fortnight ago.
Revenge may be regarded as a dish best served cold but Eoin Morgan’s men would probably like nothing more than to exact it in the heat of a World Cup final. A task easier said than done against a West Indies outfit packed with swashbuckling players who ply their trade in lucrative Twenty20 leagues around the globe.
What makes the job doubly difficult is that Sammy’s men have proved in India that they are more than just a one-man army who bank on Gayle to punch holes in their opponents. Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons and Andrew Russell have stepped out of their illustrious teammate’s shadow and made their own mark in the last month.
However, the one thing that may even out matters is the Eden Gardens pitch. In the recent past, it has turned out to be notoriously slow and at times a turner – something that will not be liked by the stroke makers and the West Indies have plenty of them.
“It (pitch) doesn’t look like one that will have a lot of carry,” stated England coach Trevor Bayliss after an inspection with the CAB president Sourav Ganguly.
Also, the England they will face Sunday is not the same team they thumped by six wickets in the group stage last month. England have peaked gradually in the tournament since that defeat and seem to have found the right rhythm and combinations.
Their batsmen – especially Jason Roy, Joe Root and Jos Buttler – have batted with refreshing freedom and their catching has been extraordinary. Equally, if not more impressive, has been their bowling at the death.